Kingstown (St. Vincent)/New York: The La Saulfrieré Volcano that erupted with huge explosion on early Monday morning (April 12, 2021) around 4.15 am in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, has left the entire population of the island nation of 110,000 people without clean water and electricity. The volcanic activity had begun late last week, and about 20,000 of the evacuated people are still in need of shelter. The La Soufriere volcano had last erupted exactly 42 years ago on April 13, 1979.
A Bolivarian Navy Ship “AB Goajira” had meanwhile reached St. Vincent with humanitarian aid by afternoon as the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela took the opportunity to renew the assurances of its highest consideration.
The National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, said on Facebook that the Monday blast was visible on radar from the nearby island of Martinique.
The Government has sought United Nations’ assistance and according to the United Nations Office of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the eruption has affected most livelihoods in the northern part of the island, including banana farming, with ash and lava flows hampering the movement of people and goods.
The eruption – the biggest explosive eruption yet – generated a dense, destructive mass of very hot ash, lava fragments, and gases which was flowing down the volcano’s south and southwest flanks. The pyroclastic flows, reports said, was destroying everything in its path.
Airports and ports were closed in the country and access to the island was very limited. The UN and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency had mobilized prepositioned water and sanitation hygiene supplies in Barbados. The UN assistance so far included relief items, food and cash distribution and technical advice. OCHA stated it was supporting coordination with a dedicated team in Barbados, and virtually from Panama.
In New York, Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General informed that that neighbouring countries were contributing emergency supplies and assets to support evacuation.
– global bihari bureau
