La Soufriere volcano on the island of Saint Vincent has been erupting since April 9th, coating the island in ash and forcing 16,000 people to evacuate. The ash has caused local water sources to become contaminated. Displaced people are in need of basic supplies such as food, clean water and hygiene items. GlobalMedic is responding by sending Family Emergency Kits that contain a water purification solution and Emergency Food Kits which will be distributed to families displaced by the eruption.
Since December 2020, there has been increased activity at the site of La Soufriere volcano in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. On April 9, La Soufriere began erupting explosively. The ash column is estimated to have risen as high as 10 kilometres into the air. This has caused massive issues for water sources on the island, as the ash continues to fall and contaminate them. Emergency food assistance is in immediate need as the displaced population is at risk of becoming food insecure.
We are preparing 660 Emergency Food Kits and 1,600 Family Emergency Kits to send to the island right away to support those that have been displaced. Our Family Emergency Kits include basic hygiene items and a water purification solution. Both of these are critical to prevent the spread of illness, including minimizing the potential for COVID-19 amongst those displaced. Our Emergency Food Kits contain dried staple foods, such as rice, lentils and pasta.
We are continuing to evaluate needs on the ground to see what additional support we can provide.
