La Soufrière: Red Cross Warns of Immediate and Long-term Humanitarian Needs
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NEAR 20,000 people have been directly affected by La Soufrière volcanic eruptions in St. Vincent and The Grenadines (SVG). As La Soufrière volcano remains highly active, these numbers may increase in the coming weeks and months. So far, almost 1,500 families in St Vincent & the Grenadines have been displaced and more than 8,000 people have been evacuated and are staying at public and private shelters. Nearly all of the 110,600 residents of the island have been indirectly affected by ashfall, water restrictions and the destruction of their livelihoods. An unquantified number of people have also been affected in neighboring islands.
How to Help St. Vincent Amid Volcanic Disaster Claire Lampen
On April 9, La Soufrière volcano on St. Vincent began a series of catastrophic eruptions that have downed vital infrastructure on the Caribbean island. According to NASA, the active volcano which has not erupted since 1979 is among the most troubling to volcanologists due to its “explosive and erratic eruption style,” which flings ash and hot gas into the atmosphere. In this case, the explosions also triggered landslide-like currents of superhot volcanic material pyroclastic flows that charged into the island’s valleys to drain toward its river and coasts.
Thankfully, residents were evacuated 24 hours ahead of time, so no one was injured or killed by the event itself. But now, an estimated 20,000 people have been displaced from their homes, and the island faces a growing humanitarian crisis. With residents crowding into government shelters in the midst of a pandemic, basic necessities suc
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and surrounding countries: La Soufrière Volcanic Eruption (MDRVC005) - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines reliefweb.int - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from reliefweb.int Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Vincentians in Edinboro wait with buckets to get water from a truck as the country grapples with dwindling water supplies due to contamination of watercourses and water treatment plants by ash-fall from La Soufriere volcano. PHOTO BY STEPHON NICHOLAS -
St Vincent and the Grenadines Red Cross youth liaison LaToya Creese believes the road to recovery for the island will be a long, challenging one, as the country is dealing with three disasters at the same time. We were not just coping with covid19 in St Vincent. We were coping with covid and dengue because we still have an ongoing outbreak.Now we are dealing with a volcanic eruption, and on top of that we are heading into the hurricane season, Creese, a Vincentian, said.
USAID Provides $100,000 in Immediate Disaster Relief to People Affected by La Soufrière Volcano Eruption
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USAID Provides $100,000 in Immediate Disaster Relief to People Affected by La Soufrière Volcano Eruption The U.S. Agency for International Development is providing an immediate $100,000 in disaster relief for people affected by violent eruptions of La Soufrière Volcano on the island of Saint Vincent. This assistance follows support USAID has already provided to the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) for evacuation efforts and the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Red Cross to assess humanitarian needs. The eruptions sent ash tens of thousands of feet into the air, causing heavy ashfall. Up to 19,000 people are being evacuated for an undetermined period and will require humanitarian assistance.