On the morning of April 9, 2021, the lives of the over 100,000 residents of the tiny island nation of St. Vincent the Grenadines were disrupted after their main volcano, the La Soufrière Volcano transitioned from a diffusive to an explosive state of eruption. This occurred less than 24 hours after an evacuation order from the country's prime minister to residents within the red zone near the volcano. This evacuation zone spanned about 20% of the land mass of the largest island, St. Vincent. One week later, there is still growing uncertainty and instability with continued eruptions, moderate to heavy ashfall and a growing water shortage.
I was born and grew up in St. Vincent before migrating to the United States and eventually becoming a part of the Columbia community as a student and employee. My Vincentian identity has been marked with elements of pride such as a rich soil and black sand beaches that are attributed to the island’s volcanic origins. However, the last eruption was in 1979, before I was born. I spent my life hearing stories that are now our reality. Of the five eruptions on record of the La Soufrière Volcano in St. Vincent, this one is the most reported and possibly the most destructive. Over 16,000 people have been displaced and ash from the first week’s eruptions are reported to have traveled as far as Spain.
As Vincentian and Caribbean citizens have been called to action globally, I created a website as a cohesive platform to give direction on how and where to give aid and donations. All sources have been vetted for authenticity as non-profit organizations or individuals associated with Vincentian communities within the country and in the diaspora. I implore you to visit and share the website on social media. For guidelines and media on how to share this site with your organization, please visit www.svgaid.com/press.html.
Photo credit: Kamillo Blake | @kbpixels - Instagram
