BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - THE Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) is the latest regional institution to join in standing firm with the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines during the difficult volcanic period.
The bank said it is greatly concerned about the multitude of challenges the country now faces as it grapples with the current catastrophic event and the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
To this end, the bank said its team is now actively coordinating a multi-tiered response intended to effectively support ongoing efforts to address citizens, residents and organisations' immediate, medium and longer-term needs.
Currently, citizens and residents in the Red zone, which is close to La Soufriere Volcano, were evacuated as structural damage to houses and buildings were reported.
CDB, in a statement, said the first tier would involve supporting the regional response mechanism through the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), while the second tier would entail the provision of funds to assist with urgent needs at the national level.
“CDB is maintaining active lines of communication with the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The response here will be tailored by the immediate support requested by the Government and the damage assessment,” the statement added.
The bank is reportedly now in dialogue with development partner organisations and the international donor community to pool resources and harmonise efforts for a more impactful long-term outcome.
This structured response, the bank added, aligns with CDB's Disaster Risk Management Strategy and Operational Guidelines (DiMSOG), aiming to contribute to sustainable development and poverty reduction in CDB's Borrowing Member Countries (BMCs) by reducing the burdens caused by disasters due to natural hazards.
“The ongoing support from CDB to the Seismic Research Center under the Global Affairs Canada and European Union-funded Community Disaster Risk Reduction Fund’s (CDRRF) Volcano Ready Communities Sub-Project launched in April 2018, continues to play a critical role in supporting the response to the eruption and evacuation of communities. The trained Community Emergency Response Teams have been activated and community emergency response plans, hazard maps and evacuation routes developed under the project have been rolled out,” the statement added.
CDB committed to working closely with the Government and people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines “to restore normalcy in the shortest possible time and continue the development agenda”.
