BASSETERRE, St.Kitts (Monday12th April 20201)-In support of citizens and residents living in the ash-ridden islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, NDC Abdias Samuel has mobilised his staff along with NEMA stakeholders to receive, document and prepare locally collected items destined for shipment there.

“Today, (Monday, April 12th), we have been overwhelmed by the number of donations received, which were requested via our parent agency CDEMA in Barbados, in response to a call for assistance made by Prime Minister, Ralph Gonsalves, on behalf of his countrymen,” Samuel said.

The external logistics for the Humanitarian Relief effort were coordinated by CDEMA (Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency) in connection with Tropical Shipping.

“Our role in the effort,” says Oureika Lennon Petty, NEMA’s Planning Officer, “is to coordinate the conveyance of the donated goods from our port to St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Everything that falls within those actions fall under the responsibility of our agency.”

Part of the gratis arrangement with Tropical Shipping, brokered by CDEMA, is a forty foot container which is being filled with water, hand sanitizer, cleaning supplies and non-perishable foods that have been collected throughout the day today.

“Because of the last minuteness of the arrangement,” according to NDC Samuel, “our turn around had to be quick and follow a strict timeline in order for the goods to be landed in SVG by Wednesday afternoon, or early evening. There may be future relief efforts planned, but for now, we had to strike while the iron is hot in order to assist with the relief of the most affected persons, in the shortest time possible.”

Mr. Samuel also expressed gratitude to the companies and individuals who went out of their way to contribute to the national humanitarian effort, led by the Government and People of St. Kitts-Nevis, with such short notice.

“I am confident,” he said, “that the container will be full to capacity and have the potential the ease the burden of at least some of our neighbours in SVG, as our entire community is continuing to respond well to our call to action.”