US-based non-profit organisation All Hands and Hearts (AHAH) says it has responded needs of people affected by Hurricane Beryl, the first major hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season, by providing its “community-inspired, volunteer-powered disaster relief” to communities in the Caribbean.

Beryl formed in the Atlantic and rapidly intensified into a hurricane that caused widespread devastation across Barbados, St Lucia, St Vincent, Grenada, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, and Mexico. The hurricane’s powerful 165 miles per hour winds, torrential rains and severe storm surges have left a trail of destruction, displacing thousands of residents, damaging infrastructure, and disrupting essential services.

Communities across the region have been left without power, clean water and access to medical care, highlight the urgent need for relief efforts. On the evening of July 7, the hurricane struck Texas, adding to the extensive list of affected regions and the destruction it has left behind.

AHAH is therefore mobilising its disaster assistance response team (DART) to aid affected areas in the Caribbean and Texas.

“At All Hands and Hearts, we are deeply committed to supporting communities in their most critical times of need. Hurricane Beryl has left an unprecedented path of destruction across multiple regions, and our hearts go out to everyone affected. Our dedicated DART is mobilising swiftly to provide much-needed relief and to help these communities begin the long process of recovery and rebuilding,” said Jess Thompson, CEO of All Hands and Hearts.

AHAH will add to the relief support already pledged and on the ground from several international aid organisations, including from the United Nations, Caribbean Development Bank, and the Christian-centred Samaritan’s Purse.

In the Caribbean, Samaritan’s Purse has dispatched flights and team members to Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Jamaica