Trinidad delegation arrives in SVG to make assessment

Two representatives from the government of Trinidad and Tobago arrived in St Vincent and the Grenadines Friday afternoon to meet with local authorities and make an assessment of the damage in the country, following widespread flooding and landslides earlier this week. {{more}}

Admiral Richard Kelshall and Dr Stephen Ramroop arrived at the E.T. Joshua airport at 1:50 p.m. on board a helicopter from the Air Guard of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force.

On arrival, Kelshall, who is the Regional Security Coordinator in the Office of the Prime Minister and Ramroop, Chief Executive Officer in the Office of Disaster Preparedness, were welcomed by a high-level government delegation which included Minister of Transport and Works Julian Francis and Minister of Health Clayton Burgin.

Kelshall said the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Kamla Persad-Bissessar is very concerned about the situation in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

“She was very insistent that we come and meet you and have a look and hear your problems because she is very, very concerned and would like Trinidad to assist in the best way possible,” Kelshall said.

The Admiral said that Persad-Bissessar had spoken this morning to Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines Dr Ralph Gonsalves and had offered assistance in the areas that SVG deem to be a priority.

After being briefed by the Deputy Director of the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) Michelle Forbes, Chief Engineer Brent Bailey, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Simone Keizer-Beache and Chief Forestry Officer Fitzgerald Providence, the visitors from Trinidad made a fly-over of the affected areas. They were accompanied on the trip by the minister of works, the chief engineer and the Chief Nursing Officer Sister Peggy DaSilva.

The chief engineer said the fly-over would give him a clearer picture of what damage had been caused in the upper watershed, in areas which could not be accessed by land.

A stop was also made in the village of Fancy on the north eastern coast of the island, so that the chief nursing officer could be briefed by the staff at the Fancy clinic. Since the passage of the trough on Tuesday evening, there has been little or no communication with several communities north of the Rabacca Dry River, including Fancy. These communities have been cut off from the rest of the country because of massive landslides. Residents in these areas have also been out of water and electricity since Tuesday, because of the difficulties being experienced by the utility companies in getting to the area to do repair work.