BARBADOS sent off its first relief effort yesterday to St Vincent, which has been devastated by torrential rainfall and fatal landslides during Christmas week.
The Department of Emergency Management, under Minister of Home Affairs Adriel Brathwaite, and in conjunction with the Barbados Coast Guard, oversaw the loading of fresh water onto the HMBS Trident. There were palettes of water each containing just over 6 000 16.9 oz bottles.
DEM director Judy Thomas said it was their responsibility to assist St Vincent under the regional response mechanism of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency.
“We are the sub-regional focal point for St Vincent, Dominica and St Lucia so it is our responsibility to provide a co-ordinated response,” she said.
Officer-in-charge Lieutenant Ryan Alleyne said the expedition was scheduled to last one day, returning today at 10 a.m. He said the hardest thing would be to make contact with the emergency services in St Vincent and to offload, but added once the necessary equipment was in place this would not be problematic. (CA)
