APPROXIMATELY 20,000 people have been left homeless or in severely damaged buildings in Grenada and St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) following the passage of Hurricane Beryl.
Speaking during a media conference to launch the regional response for Grenada and SVG hosted by the Grenada Information Service on July 11, Grenadian PM Dickon Mitchell said 4,000 people had been left homeless after their homes were destroyed, while another 4,000 were living in severely damaged buildings.
“The people of Carriacou and Petite Martinique need to be fed and provided with basic amenities for the next six months. We have to demolish unsafe buildings before we can rebuild. Those islands are fishing and agricultural communities, fishing boats and equipment were all destroyed. There’s no vegetation, the animals are dying because we have no animal feed. There’s no fuel, that has to be brought onto the island. The agricultural sector, the fishing sector, the marine industry, tourism, businesses, all badly devastated. The forest and foliage are gone, our mangrove ecosystems were not spared.”
Mitchell said a complete assessment of biodiversity was needed, as well as beach cleanup, assessment and cleaning of the coral reef to encourage fish to come back.
SVG PM Ralph Gonsalves said over 3,500 households had been rendered homeless, with an average of three people per household. He said 2,500 houses had been destroyed in the southern Grenadines.
He said there were 450 primary and secondary school students on Union Island, who would have to be housed in St Vincent for the upcoming school year, along with their teachers and parents, who would also need income support.
Gonsalves said the international and regional organisations which provide aid are not fit for purpose for the relief that is now required, not including what would be needed for recovery and reconstruction.
Mitchell said significant capital investment would be needed and called on first world countries to provide grant resources which were not loans.
“This funding should have been put in place before these events. The grants need to have quick disbursement post-hurricane. I’m calling for new facilities which will give small-island developing states on the forefront of the climate crisis to have access to funds. Currently the dispensation period is four-eight weeks, this is too long. We need the funds now. It’s been ten days since the passage of Hurricane Beryl and our needs are immediate.”
He said despite Grenada showing fiscal responsibility by putting aside funds for disasters, purchasing insurance for water and light companies, and getting catastrophic risk insurance, this was just a drop in the bucket compared to what was needed.
“The cost of living here is too high for us to pay. We deserve and need to stay alive. We need your assistance. I am happy to join to make this appeal to international partners to provide aid to us.”
Gonsalves said Caricom had come to the country’s aid along with other friends and allies, but international assistance was ne
