I’m deeply saddened by the lack of life and vital devastation brought on by Hurricane Beryl in our area with notably extreme influence on Grenada (Carriacou and Petite Martinique) and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. I ship my deepest condolences to the households and all those that have been impacted by this excessive climate occasion. Beryl, the earliest Class 4 Atlantic Hurricane on document to type within the hurricane season, serves as a stark reminder of the realities of local weather change and its adversarial impacts affecting Small Island Growing States (SIDS).
We commend the respective OECS Member States, CARICOM nations, Nationwide Emergency Administration Businesses, and CDEMA, who’re coordinating the catastrophe response and restoration efforts. Our ideas are additionally with Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, who are actually getting ready for a significant influence. As a area, we should proceed to stay vigilant and ready towards these impacts in what is simply the start of an energetic hurricane season. Collective motion and solidarity are actually required to assist all these affected.
The OECS Fee is working to assist Member States presently and calls upon the worldwide group and growth companions to assist the rebuilding and resilience efforts underway within the area. We commend the Authorities of Saint Lucia for his or her present of assist in offering a helicopter to the Prime Minister of Grenada to take him across the affected areas. The helicopter was additionally used to move urgently wanted medical provides. As particular person islands, we could also be small, however as one area, collectively we are able to face up to and overcome all challenges. We additionally commend the Republic of France for providing help to the Governments of Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines with logistical and transportation help to entry Carriacou and Petite Martinique (Grenada) and the various Grenadine islands (St. Vincent) which were devastated and are presently inaccessible.
