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CARIB | Apr 11, 2021

Caribbean Development Bank committed funds to help St Vincent recover

/ Our Today

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CDB team is now actively coordinating a multi-tiered response. (Photo: LinkedIn for @CaribBank)

The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has committed funding to help the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines recover from the on-going eruption of the La Soufrière volcano, which has caused severe economic and environmental damage.

Declaring that it is greatly concerned about the multitude of challenges the country now faces as it grapples with the current catastrophic event and the on-going effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the bank says it has already mobilized its team for the recovery response.

The team is now actively coordinating a multi-tiered response to effectively support ongoing efforts to address citizens, residents, and organisations’ immediate, medium and longer-term needs.

The first tier will involve supporting the regional response mechanism through the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA). The second tier will entail the provision of funds to assist with urgent needs at the national level.

National flag of St Vincent and the Grenadines. (Photo: World Atlas)

The CDB is maintaining active lines of communication with the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. In a statement today, the CDB, reports that, “the response will be tailored by the immediate support requested by the Government and the damage assessment.”

Pooling resources to harmonise efforts

In the meantime, the CDB is now in dialogue with development partner organisations and the international donor community to pool resources and harmonise efforts for a more impactful long-term outcome.

The regional banking institution explains that its structured response is aligned with its Disaster Risk Management Strategy and Operational Guidelines (DiMSOG), aiming to contribute to sustainable development and poverty reduction in CDB’s Borrowing Member Countries (BMCs) by reducing the burdens caused by disasters due to natural hazards.

The ongoing support from CDB to the Seismic Research Centre continues to play a critical role in supporting the response to the eruption and evacuation of communities. This work is carried out under the Global Affairs Canada and the European Union-funded Community Disaster Risk Reduction Fund’s (CDRRF) Volcano Ready Communities Sub-Project launched in April 2018.

The ash plume triggered by the late-afternoon explosive eruption at La Soufrière set off a dazzling lightning show on Friday night. (Photo: Facebook @UEWISeismic)

The trained Community Emergency Response Teams have been activated and community emergency response plans, hazard maps and evacuation routes developed under the project have been rolled out.

This has assisted with the evacuation of vulnerable persons and the mobilisation of transportation resources, supplies and equipment to facilitate safe movement to designated shelters in the green zone.

In its statement, the CDB emphasized that is in it for the long-haul committing to work closely with the Government and people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines to restore normalcy in the shortest possible time and continue the development agenda. The statement concludes that the full details of the support response will be made available as plans are finalised.

The CDB has joined with the regional and international community in expressing its solidarity and best wishes to the Government and People of St. Vincent and the Grenadines as they endure the ongoing eruption of the La Soufrière volcano. 

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