The Government of Montserrat will contribute one hundred and fifty thousand Eastern Caribbean dollars (XCD$150,000.00) along with donations of essential supplies to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as the island continues to cope with a series of eruptions at the La Soufrière Volcano.
Montserrat’s Premier Honourable Joseph E. Farrell made the announcement today (Monday April 12, 2021) following a meeting of Cabinet earlier today.
The Cabinet meeting was preceded by an Emergency Stakeholder meeting on Friday, during which stakeholders to include officials from the Disaster Management Coordination Agency (DMCA), identified relief items available on island and which can be donated based the ‘Immediate Needs–Volcanic Emergency’ list received from the National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Premier Farrell said, “Cabinet agreed on a financial contribution of $150,000.00 dollars and members of Cabinet also reviewed the list of items available locally to provide relief to St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The logistical arrangements will now be made to send the items to include cots, blankets, water purifying tablets, portable water bottles, wheel barrows and push-brooms, to the island.”
Additionally, the Premier announced that Cabinet was advised of the establishment of a local support team to either work from home or travel to St. Vincent and the Grenadines to provide assistance in key areas such as radio communications, shelter management and operational support among others.
He noted that Montserrat has already provided technical support before the eruptions began, as scientists- Volcanologist, Dr. Thomas Christopher and Seismologist, Rod Stewart from the Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO), along with PHD Student Ms. Tivonne Howe joined their colleagues from the UWI Seismic Research Centre in St. Vincent to monitor the La Soufriere volcano, in January. To this end, the Premier said additional technical support will be provided as the scientists will have to be rotated depending on the duration of the increased activity and eruptions.
Discussions on the situation in St. Vincent and the Grenadines will continue with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.