OECS Prime Minster says recovery process will be long
THE SENSES OF SMELL AND SIGHT, and the emotions are strongly impacted when one visits Union Island which was struck by Hurricane Beryl on July 1, 2024.
The effects come from the stench of dead animals in several places such as Donaldson; viewing the destruction brought about by the category four hurricane throughout the entire island; and hearing the stories being told by survivors, some of whom have remained on the Southern Grenadine Island.
“It’s a complicated situation and we don’t want to solve one problem and create another one…it’s not as simple as persons think,” Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves said on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, as he spoke to residents on Union Island.
PRIME MINISTER Dr Ralph Gonsalves and regional colleagues speaking to Delicia Alexander whose entire home in Valley Union Island which housed 5 persons was destroyed
“You may start burning debris and create a situation where that affects persons with asthma and then you don’t have enough respirators.”
Gonsalves was visiting persons at a shelter on Union Island where he had taken colleague OECS prime ministers to view the devastation in the Grenadines.
Giving an update on the electricity situation on Union Island, Gonsalves said all the power lines were down, and while the St Vincent Electricity Services (VINLEC) has a new 350-kilowatt generator that can be installed, the power lines have to be up, and the power station repaired.
“…then the challenge is that a generator that size needs a minimum load. The electricity may be available, but is there sufficient houses to take the electricity?
“Complicated problem, so when you hear man and woman talk and they don’t understand something…that’s why I tell them must listen what me ah say,” Gonsalves said.
He also spoke of proposed plans to temporarily house and school displaced students and teachers on the mainland.
“…I am urging the young men and women to come back down to help rebuild and clean. We encouraged persons to leave at first to ease pressure…”, Gonsalves said.
“We will get there…we are trying to get there in the fastest possible time but it is not easy. In the meantime, I want to make sure that you have enough food and water,” he told those housed at the emergency shelter.
He spoke as well about the Central Water and Sewage Authority (CWSA) looking at short-term water supply initiatives which include making use of a 140,000-gallon storage tank already available on the island.
Gonsalves explained to the residents that a boat called The Dawn, is supplying water but it leaves on July 22, 2024, and they are trying to get an extension. He estimates that Union Island needs between 40,000 to 60,000 gallons of water daily, and noted that about two to three weeks of drinking water is always available.
The prime minister also said he is concerned about the public health issues and had already asked the public health department to conduct fogging to control the mosquito population.
Speaking to SEARCHLIGHT, Prime Minister of Grenada, Dickon Mitchell, said the situation is “depressing”.
“It’s the same on Petit Martinique. It has put people back probably a couple decades, people who worked hard for everything and lost everything.”
Mitchell said further that the environment has taken a major battering and he is showing solidarity and support not only to St Vincent and the Grenadines, but also with Jamaica, which also was impacted by Hurricane Beryl.
“We can work together on certain things,” Mitchell said, while noting that a joint approach towards accessing funds and relief can be adopted.
“It could be any of the islands any day. It’s going to be a long climb out of a deep dark hole, its probably going to take us a good six months to clean up alone, the rebuilding process is going to be long. We have to import everything for rebuilding and we have to fix it…,” Mitchell told SEARCHLIGHT, noting that people’s homes and property are their piece of the earth. The high level delegation of prime ministers and other officials of the St Vincent and the Grenadines government also visited Canouan on Tuesday.
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