Basseterre, St. Kitts, April 16th 2021 (ZIZ News) Members of the Rotary Club of St. Kitts will be joining the humanitarian effort of assistance for St. Vincent and the Grenadines amid the eruptions of La Soufriere.
On Wednesday, Rotarians from St. Kitts and Nevis virtually interacted with their counterparts in St. Vincent and the Grenadines to ascertain the situation there.
During the meeting, Secretary for Rotary St. Kitts, Dr. Marcus Natta asked President of the Rotary Club of St. Vincent Annette Mark, to describe how life has changed since the eruptions began.
Having experienced the eruptions of La Soufriere 41 years ago, President Mark says it will take some time to get back to normalcy, and noted the challenges when it comes to water, food, sanitation, and clothing.
Mark called for combined efforts to assist persons in need, especially those in shelters.
Annette Mark, President of the Rotary Club of St. Vincent speaking to Dr. Marcus Natta, Secretary for the Rotary Club of St. Kitts and other Rotarians on Wednesday.
]]>Bridgetown, Barbados, 14 April 2021 – As the region rallies to assist the thousands of people in St.
Vincent and the Grenadines displaced by the eruption of the La Soufriere Volcano, CIBC FirstCaribbean
has sent a shipment of much needed supplies to the island.
The shipment which was coordinated by the Barbados Coast Guard left the island on Thursday evening
aboard the Admiral Bay which was due to arrive in St. Vincent early Friday morning and will be
presented to the National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO).
The relief supplies which include over 40 pallets of food, water, cleaning supplies and sanitary items
were purchased by funds donated by the bank’s charitable arm the FirstCaribbean International
ComTrust Foundation.
The foundation’s Chair and the bank’s Chief Executive Officer Colette Delaney said the bank shared a
“deep concern for the wellbeing and safety of the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines as they are
confronted with the twin threats of an erupting volcano and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic”.
She said the eruption in St. Vincent and the subsequent ash falls in Barbados and neighbouring islands
demonstrated how interconnected the islands of the region are. She also noted the sense of community
demonstrated within the Caribbean in times of disaster, which she observed was borne out in how
quickly the Caribbean reached out– within hours of the first eruption – with offers of aid to the people
of St. Vincent.
“It is a testament to the closeness and sense of family of our region. We’ve seen this in times of
disaster and need over and over again. It proves that despite our differences of opinion and sometimes
our squabbles, family always comes first. Our thoughts immediately go to the people of St. Vincent
and our prayer is that they will continue to be safe,” Ms. Delaney said.
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – The Caribbean Examinations Council has made several changes to the sitting of this year’s CSEC and CAPE exams in light of challenges across the region, including the impact of Covid-19 and the eruption of La Soufriere in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
In a press release issued on Thursday CXC said it has reduced the SBA requirements by as much as 50 per cent in some subjects.
In addition, CXC will share the Broad topics to be assessed on Paper 02 for CSEC® and
CAPE subjects with the Ministries of Education for distribution to all candidates on 10TH of May, for subjects where such details are not already available in the syllabus. Candidates are however reminded that the entire syllabus is assessed on Paper 01.
CXC has also implemented a facility for candidates to postpone sitting examinations and submitting School Based Assessments (SBAs), until the January 2022 CSEC exams or the May/June 2022 CAPE, CSEC and CCSLC exams.
CXC also said SBA scores can be transferred for use in the next examination sitting, where the subject is offered.
The granting of the postponement will be managed by the principal, for in-school candidates, and by the CXC® Local Registrar, for private candidates. Candidates should indicate intent to postpone from the June/July 2021 examination cycle by 1 May.
There will be no fee charged for the postponement of examinations.
For more information persons can log on to the CXC website www.cxc.org.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, April 14, 2021 (SKNIS): Two shipping containers of supplies from St. Kitts and Nevis left the Federation on Tuesday (April 13, 2021) to support disaster relief efforts in St. Vincent in the Grenadines, as the country grapples with continued eruptions of the La Soufrière volcano.
The volcano first erupted on Friday (April 09, 2021), forcing the evacuation of some 20,000 people from communities in the danger zone.
On Tuesday’s edition of the Leadership Matters programme, National Disaster Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Abdias Samuel, explained that 264 contributions of food, non-perishable items, personal hygiene kits, and other supplies were donated to assist persons in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The contributions are valued at $150,000.
The information posted on the official NEMA SKN Facebook Page noted that two shipping containers were “packed to capacity” and were shipped on Tuesday. The support is commendable given that the call for donations was made on Saturday (April 10).
Mr. Samuel indicated that the business community responded favourably to the call for donations. Chief among them was the Rams Group of Companies that donated $40,000 worth of food and relief supplies. He also commended O. D. Brisbane and Sons (Trading) Ltd, Tropical Shipping, and Carib Brewery (St. Kitts and Nevis) Ltd.
“Equally so, I must recognize the ordinary citizens who came to NEMA and made their contribution,” Mr. Samuel stated.
St. Kitts and Nevis Red Cross Society was also praised by the top disaster official for its outstanding volunteer support.
Residents who were unable to contribute to the initial relief drive can still donate. NEMA officials are organizing a second donation drive. Additional information can be obtained by telephone at 466-5100.
]]>Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. 13 April 2021 The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) is providing technical assistance in response to volcanic eruptions of La Soufrière volcano in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. CARPHA is part of the Rapid Response Team (RRT), which is spearheaded by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA).
On 29th December 2020, the alert level for La Soufrière was elevated to Orange due to increased activity at the site, which is located in the northern part of the main island of St. Vincent. Effusive activity continued, until 8th April 2021, when the UWI Seismic Research Centre team based in St. Vincent indicated new seismic events were occurring that are typical with explosive eruptions. The Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines raised the alert level to Red and ordered an evacuation of the Red volcanic hazard zone. More than 4,000 persons were evacuated to other parts of the island. Explosive eruptions commenced at 8:42 am on April 9th, 2021 and have continued to the present day with an expansive ash plume and pyroclastic flows being reported. Ashfall has affected not only St. Vincent but the neighbouring islands of Barbados, St. Lucia and Grenada.
Health effects after a volcanic eruption include respiratory problems, eye problems, and skin irritation due to gases and ash released into the atmosphere. Watercourses and reservoirs may become contaminated leading to a reduction in safe, drinking water supplies.
“CARPHA leads the public health component of the RRT. We will provide technical advice and support to the Ministry of Health officials in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. We also stand ready to support neighbouring Member States that are being impacted by the ash, and those who have offered a home away from home to evacuees,” stated Dr. Joy St. John, Executive Director of CARPHA.
Recently CARPHA developed a COVID-19 Protocol During Evacuation which has been approved for use by the 27th Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD). CARPHA has also developed:
These documents can be found at https://www.carpha.org/
In accordance with the Inter-Governmental Agreement, CARPHA, as the sole public health agency for the Caribbean region, is mandated to respond to emergencies including hurricanes, earthquakes, flooding, and other natural disasters. CARPHA will continue to work with CDEMA and other agencies to assess the need for further support.
The risk of increased cases of COVID-19 during this time, through evacuation and gathering in emergency shelters, is significant. Every effort must be made to protect persons living in the emergency shelters, including appropriate social distancing and hygiene measures, testing of symptomatic individuals, isolation of COVID-19 positive individuals and quarantine of contacts in isolation shelters. Member States are also being urged to continue their vaccination rollout to aid in limiting spread where feasible.
CARPHA expresses deep concern and sympathy for the residents of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and nearby countries affected by La Soufriere. We urge Caribbean residents and visitors to take continued precautions and follow the advice of the authorities.
]]>BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, April 14, 2021 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – On a special edition of the popular programme, Leadership Matters, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris applauded the substantial and comprehensive efforts of ordinary citizens and residents to mobilise much needed support for the thousands of people in St. Vincent and the Grenadines affected by volcanic eruptions on the Caribbean island.
The La Soufrière volcano erupted on Friday, April 09, displacing more than 20,000 persons residing in the ‘danger zones’ who were forced to evacuate their homes.
“I am so pleased as the Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis to acknowledge that in less than a week St. Kitts and Nevis has mobilized a substantial and comprehensive response to St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Apart from my Government, the rest of the society has responded well,” Prime Minister Harris said on the virtual forum series on Tuesday, April 13.
Authorities here, through the coordination of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), are preparing to ship two containers filled with needed supplies to the neighbouring Caribbean territory.
Prime Minister Harris said, “Imagine, notwithstanding our small size, we could so quickly put a large quantity of food and non-food items identified by the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines on their list of needs including, baby food, water, feminine napkins, pampers etc.”
These items are in addition to the comprehensive humanitarian package announced by the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis over the weekend to assist St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The Government’s package includes financial assistance in the sum of EC $1 million to assist with the evacuation and resettling of citizens and residents from the danger zone; welcoming up to 300 evacuees to the shores of St. Kitts and Nevis; providing human resources through the Regional Security System (RSS) recruited from St. Kitts and Nevis Defence Force and the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force to support humanitarian, technical and peace-keeping efforts on the ground in St. Vincent and the Grenadines; and contributing US $20,000 towards the Special Emergency Assistance Fund of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) in order to bring immediate relief to St. Vincent and the Grenadines and support its logistical operations.
“I want to thank all persons on St. Kitts and Nevis who have supported this major humanitarian response. We collectively are being a blessing to the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. We offer hope to them that they are not alone,” Prime Minister Harris said.
The Prime Minister of St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Dr. the Honourable Ralph Gonsalves, has since reached out to Prime Minister Harris to express gratitude to the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis, as well as the citizens and residents for their strong show of solidarity “during this very challenging situation facing us here in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.”
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, April 13, 2021 (RSCNPF): An emergency meeting was held at the Police Training School on Monday, April 12, 2021 at which the High Command of The Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force (RSCNPF) met with Police Officers serving in the Federation who are natives of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss ways the High Command could assist the Officers who had family members and/or property in the red and orange zones in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and others who would be adversely affected otherwise. Commissioner of Police Hilroy Brandy outlined the options to the men and committed to helping them as much as possible.
“We want you to know that we are very concerned about you and your families and we will do everything that we can to help,” Commissioner Brandy assured the Officers.
“Your welfare is our welfare,” Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Andre Mitchell, said adding that many of them had given dedicated service to the country, some as much as thirty years.
ACP Adolph Adams asked them to hold on to faith. “We are brothers and sisters and in times of need we need to have each other’s backs,” he said.
ACP McCarta Browne told the Officers that he had respect for anyone who left their country and families behind in order to serve in law enforcement in another, noting that such a move deserved a “different kind of honour”. “Be strong and know that you have a High Command who cares and will go out of their way to help you,” he assured them.
Force Personnel Officer, Clifford Govia, informed the group that counselling services would be provided to those who needed it.
Representatives from the Police Welfare Association were also present. Its President, Sergeant Jerry Watts, assured them that the executive would be considering how the Association could help.
Inspector Reynold Myers, a national of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, has served the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis with pride for close to thirty years. As a young boy, he had experienced the La Soufrière Volcano’s last eruption. Knowing the mental toll the current situation might be taking on his fellow Officers he offered words of motivation.
“I encourage you to keep morale high. This is not the time to drop your guard and be shaken,” Inspector Myers urged. “I must commend the High Command for this initiative. It’s good to see you are all here, but you still have to stay focused.”
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BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS (Eye Witness News)— The Caribbean Policy Development Centre (CPDC) yesterday joined with the regional and international community in expressing its best wishes to the people and government of St Vincent and the Grenadines in the aftermath of eruptions of the La Soufriere volcano.
In a statement, the CPDC said it “stands ready to help our member organization, Windward Islands Farmers Association, and our grantee Richmond Vale Academy of St Vincent and the Grenadines, as well as our other trusted partners as they battle with the effects” of the natural disaster.
It also pledged to work closely with NGOs and governments to help impacted communities, with Officer in Charge of CPDC Richard Jones noting the group is “liaising with regional and international partners to provide critical in-country support to assist in the disaster relief efforts on the island”.
“We also urge persons to stay safe and heed precautionary warnings to remain indoors to avoid the ashfall impacts, or evacuate from danger zones as directed,” the CPDC statement read.
“The continued volcanic eruptions have been compounded by the challenges related to COVID-19, but remaining indoors or going to available shelters can assist in protecting the community.
“In times of emergencies, the CPDC remains cognizant of the social and health implications of natural disasters. CPDC acknowledges the importance of safeguarding the civil rights and freedoms of persons during this disaster, as such individual liberties are the cornerstone of our democratic societies.”
The 4,049-foot La Soufriere volcano first erupted on Friday, just hours after government officials ordered an evacuation of thousands of people from the surrounding communities.
On Monday, it experienced an even larger eruption, with ash being carried as far as Barbados.
The CPDC encouraged governments and policymakers to do “their utmost best to protect those most vulnerable in society”, including the elderly, people with disabilities, children and women, especially during this time.
Locally, Bahamian Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has said Cabinet will discuss providing financial support to the country, as he noted many countries came to the aid of The Bahamas in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian in September 2019.
CaribPR Wire also reported shortly after the eruption that Invest Caribbean, a New York and South Florida-based global private sector investment agency of the Caribbean, and its partner, the Ritzury Group, have come together to create a GoFundMe page to raise disaster relief funds.
Up to press time yesterday, the donation drive had raised over USD$27,000 of its USD$100,000 goal.
The CPDC said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the island. We are one, and we will continue to fight, recover and rebuild stronger from this disaster.”
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, April 09, 2021 (SKNIS): The National Disaster Mitigation Council convened an emergency meeting on April 9 to mobilize support to assist persons affected by the eruption of the La Soufriere volcano in St. Vincent.
The meeting, which was held at the Antioch Baptist Church in Limekiln, was attended by Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris; Chair of the National Disaster Mitigation Council (NDMC) and Chair of the Ministerial Council for the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), Hon. Vincent Byron Jr.; Hon. Wendy Phipps, Co-Chair of NDMC; the Hon. Akilah Byron-Nisbett, Minister of Health; National Disaster Coordinator, Mr. Abdias Samuel (Chair of the Meeting); representatives from the Chamber of Industry and Commerce; NGO’s; Security Heads; and senior government officials.
La Soufriere volcano erupted on the morning of April 9, spewing its guts 8 km into the air, and covering a significant part of St. Vincent.
Minister Byron Jr. said that “despite months and months of preparation and planning on paper when it came to the actual implementation, there has been some difficulty.”
“We are here today not just to be informed about this but for St. Kitts and Nevis to galvanize ourselves in an effort to see in what ways we can support our neighbouring islands and St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a part of the OECS (Organization of Eastern Caribbean States), CARICOM (Caribbean Community), part of the CDEMA family of nations, and so we want to be in a position to lend any assistance we can give,” said Minister Byron Jr. “We know that the northern part of St. Vincent has had to be evacuated and the figures range between 16, 000 to 20, 000 persons that have to be moved.”
He said that some persons will be accommodated in St. Vincent, while others will have to be evacuated to neighbouring islands. He indicated that St. Kitts and Nevis is considering support, which can in logistics, financial support, skilled personnel, accepting displaced persons, or civil society contributions.
Prime Minister Harris, who said he had communicated with Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. the Hon. Ralph Gonsalves, said that he was informed that 8000 persons were expected to find accommodation with family or friends, 12, 000 were to be evacuated to shelters, but that the country only had the capacity to cater for 5000 persons, and that 7000 will have to move to other islands within the OECS, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana. Additionally, he said that two cruise ships have agreed to help with the accommodation of persons for some time.
Dr. Harris said that the option remains of assisting St. Vincent with material resources and that the country had requested cots, blankets, and peripheral water tanks. He also said that plans were afoot to have the displaced persons tested for COVID-19 and inoculated.
“Cabinet is committed. Cabinet will be a good Samaritan on this particular effort. We want to be our brothers’ keeper and our sisters’ keeper too, but we have to do it in the most efficient way,” Prime Minister Harris said.
Elizabeth Riley, Executive Director of CDEMA, who gave an update on the situation on the ground in St. Vincent, began by expressing solidarity with the Government and people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines at this difficult time.
“I think the situation really reiterates the realities of the multi-hazard environment in which we all operate as members of the CDEMA system and in this particular case we have our complex incidences of COVID-19, which is affecting all of us, volcanic eruption, which this morning has transitioned to an explosive eruption and of course we have the upcoming hurricane season,” Ms. Riley said.
She added: “As you are aware, we have been notified by the seismic research centre this morning that approximately 20 minutes to 9 or so that La Soufriere volcano transitioned from an effusive type of eruption to an explosive one. We have been told that most persons have been evacuated from the red zone, which is the high-risk zone. The explosive eruption has posed some challenges with respect to visibility and in fact, hindered the pace of some of the evacuation efforts in-country.”
In the coming days, the National Disaster Mitigation Council with collaboration from the private and public sector will finalize concretely what assistance will be offered to the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 18, 2021 (SKNIS): A grant of up to US$50,000 is available to Civil Society Organizations in St. Kitts and Nevis to implement or expand beekeeping under an Apiculture and Biodiversity project.
The funds are offered through the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grant Programme (SGP) which falls under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Country Programme. The multi-country project aims to establish a sustainable apiculture industry in Saint Lucia and identify clear pathways to further the development of an apiculture industry in four other Caribbean countries including St. Kitts and Nevis. The other Caribbean countries are Dominica, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago. Samoa, a country located in the Pacific, is also implementing the project.
In order to be a part of this project, interested organizations must be registered with a local government agency and have at least one year of experience in raising bees as well as harvesting, bottling and selling honey.
Applicants are required to submit a Letter of Interest (LOI) to the GEF SGP UNDP National Coordinator via email iliswatts@unops.org. Applications must be received on or before January 31, 2021.
The successful organization will work closely with the GEF SGP UNDP National Office to establish or expand an apiary as well as a honey processing plant. The organization members must also participate in all virtual training, prepare and submit project reports, convene local and national meetings, participate in all international meetings, and train other small apiculturists to pass on the skills and lessons learnt.
The successful candidate will also liaise with persons in the other countries who are participating in this Apiculture and Biodiversity Project.
Basseterre, St. Kitts, December 30th, 2020 (ZIZ News) The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has been monitoring the developing situation at the Soufriere volcano in St. Vincent, through contact with the National Emergency Management Organization there.
This according to National Disaster Coordinator at NEMA Abdias Samuel who said contact has also been made to member states of the Caribbean Disaster management Agency (CDEMA).
“I’ve also been in communication with CDEMA and our wider CDEMA member states as the regional response mechanism has been placed on the alert. What that means is all the necessary branches that make the regional response mechanism work, has been placed on the alert to be able to respond if it becomes necessary to do so,” he said.
He further noted, “The Attorney General Hon. Vincent Byron Jr. as the chair of the Ministerial Council for CDEMA, has been in close dialog with the executive director of CDEMA Elizabeth Riley who has notified him of the intent of CDEMA to mobilize if necessary to assist with the evacuation of any citizen that may be under any threat of the eruption.”
Mr. Samuel noted that Prime Minister Dr. Hon. Timothy Harris has reached out to Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Dr. Ralph Gonsalves and expressed the federation’s intent to give support to the country if the need arises.
He outlined what that support may entail.
On Tuesday, a warning was issued for La Soufriere volcano in St. Vincent and the Grenadines as officials reported tremors, strong gas emissions, formation of a new volcanic dome and changes to its crater lake.
According to Mr. Samuel approximately 16 to 20 thousand residents will need to be evacuated if there is a major eruption.
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