Given the portable water shortage that hit St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), the Dominican government has joined other Caribbean nations to ship out water supply to the country. SVG continues to be in the throes of the erupting La Soufriere volcano with intensifying ash rain covering neighbourings areas to the eruption site.
Dominica shipped out 16 pallets of bottle water to the SVG, and PM Roosevelt Skerrit urged other neighbouring countries to ship portable water to the country after an urgent OECS meeting. He also urged OECS members to donate relief materials and other essential materials to help out the people who have become displaced on account of the natural disaster.
In an amazing display of assistance, Venezuela provided 20 tons of humanitarian aid to SVG while the Digicel Group provided US$500,000 in relief materials. USAID provided US$100,000 in addition to evacuation assistance, and the UK assisted with £200,000 for relief packages and medical aid. St. Kitts and Nevis pledged to donate $1 million in addition to receiving 300 evacuees.
But in a twist of event, SVG Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said many residents of his country are not willing to relocate to neighbouring countries in the light of the volcanic eruption and resultant ash rain. He said many citizens told him directly that they are not eager to leave their home country for evacuation to neighbouring islands. He said many SVG citizens prefer to stay back in their own country even though many neighbouring governments are willing to take them in.
Due to this development, Gonsalves said, a few luxury cruise lines which had offered to transport people to safer countries have been dismissed, and smaller vessels will be chartered for the purpose. The prime minister said smaller vessels that ply the neighbouring islands will be contracted to move willing people from SVG as evacuees to other islands for greater safety. The government also warned Vincentians to stop going near the red zones for sightseeing purposes since this is very dangerous.
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