‘All gone’: St. Vincent prime minister appeals for aid amid ongoing volcano eruption
With one-third of his eastern Caribbean nation transformed into “a relative wasteland” from the erupting La Soufrière volcano, the prime minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tuesday appealed to the international community for help with his country’s recovery.
“It’s an extraordinary, existential challenge that is facing us,” Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said.
The leader joined the United Nations in launching an urgent appeal for assistance to address the budding humanitarian crisis and multiple challenges created by the volcano’s ongoing explosions. They are seeking nearly $29.2 million in assistance to cover the next six months and help start the recovery.
Of the 20,000 people evacuated from the red zone after the volcano first unleashed ash on April 9, three-quarters are identified by the U.N. as in critical need of immediate assistance. The disaster has destroyed crops on the northern third of the island of St. Vincent, where La Soufrière is located, and is leading to a water shortage. Schools have been disrupted because the buildings are being used as shelters, and two of the island’s five hospitals had to be evacuated.
“Think of us feeding on a daily basis, three meals over 10-12,000 people. It’s a herculean task,” Gonsalves said. “This is the midnight hour of our need and we are expecting the international community to come to our aid.”
After more than 40 years of being dormant, the La Soufrière volcano unleashed volcanic ash earlier this month, followed by an avalanche of hot gases and debris days later. The explosion forced an evacuation order and the closing of the country’s international airport, which remains shuttered due to the ongoing ash cleanup. Scientists warn that the eruptions could go on for six months or more.
Gonsalves said that while damage assessments are ongoing, the island’s recovery will cost “many millions of dollars and we’re not talking about just tens of millions. It’s going to be in excess of that.” Scientists estimate that the volcano has emitted more than 100 cubic meters of ash, which now needs to be cleaned up, he noted. There’s also the need to provide social support, water, healthcare and housing.
He said the northern part of the country, where there are agricultural fields, fishing spots and tourism operations, is “all gone . ... It is now a relative wasteland. It’s desolation.”
Gonsalves was joined by Didier Trebucq, the U.N. resident coordinator for Barbados and the eastern Caribbean. Trebucq, who traveled to the island by boat, visited the red and orange zones heavily affected by the ashfall and rumblings with Gonsalves over the weekend.
He described the impact of the ashfall as “apocalyptic.”
“We have seen many