Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris recently announced a pledge of EC$1 million to the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the wake of the devastation caused by the recent series of eruptions of the La Soufriere Volcano.
The relief pledge includes financial support as well as humanitarian support through the accommodation of evacuees and the provision of security and defence force personnel to provide assistance through the Regional Security Service (RSS).
In the statement, Dr. Harris reiterated his island’s stance of solidarity with the Government and people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
“The Government and people of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis stand in solidarity with the Government and people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines during this very difficult time brought about by the volcanic eruption in that Country. St. Kitts and Nevis has always stood in strong support of our OECS Member States in their time of difficulty and need.”
In addition to the financial assistance in the sum of EC$1 million to assist with the evacuation and resettling of citizens and residents from the danger zone around the volcano, St. Kitts will also welcome families of two or three members evacuated from the danger zone totalling not more than three hundred persons, provide human resources through the Regional Security System (RSS) recruited from the Defence and the Police Forces to support humanitarian activities, provide technical support, and conduct peacekeeping efforts on the ground in St. Vincent and the Grenadines;
Dr. Harris also announced the immediate release to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) the sum of US$20,000 towards its Special Emergency Assistance Fund in order to bring immediate relief to St. Vincent and the Grenadines and support its logistical operations; and informed that the island’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has been tasked with coordinating the National response to the Needs List provided by the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.