Grenada and St Vincent face residential issues as 20,000 left homeless by Beryl

Island nations of St Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada were severely devastated by Hurricane Beryl leaving behind trails of death and homeless residents. Approximately, 20,000 people have been left either homeless or in shelters.

Hurricane Beryl has caused huge loss to several Caribbean nations due to which infrastructural damages have been recorded in nations like Carriacou, Grenada, and St Vincent and the Grenadines.  The devastation brought down power lines, took roofs off houses and left hundreds of people homeless and in shelters.

PM of Grenada, Dickon Mitchell, during a media conference, announced about the launch of a regional response for SVG and Grenada, that was hosted by the Grenada Information Service on Thursday, July 11. He said that about 4,000 people were left homeless, while around 4,000 people are living in damaged buildings.

He said that most part of the regions are without power due to which many will have to face issues that include mosquitoes, rain, sun and many such, until the government’s actions help to bring the situation back to normalcy.

Mitchell added that the people of Carriacou and Petite Martinique must be fed and provided with basic accommodations for about next half of the annum. The agricultural sector, the fishing and marine industry, tourism, business are all heavily destructed. Thus, assessments and cleaning will be done as needed to get the factors back to places.

Prime Minister of SVG, Ralph Gonsalves stated that about 3,500 residences were brought down to the ground with about three people per residence have been rendered homeless.

He added that the 450 primary and secondary school students from the Union Islands have to be provided housing facilities in St Vincent for the upcoming school year, accompanied by the teachers and the parents who shall also need support for sustainable income.

PM Gonsalves expressed that the regional and the international organizations that have provided their assistance and aid, do not fit the purpose of relief that the country needs at this point.

While PM Mitchell requested the first world countries for assistance with resources and funds, as the affected would need significant capital investments to bounce back.