Speaking at the 14th Special Emergency Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government today, President Dr Irfaan Ali assured Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves that Guyana was fully committed to assisting the people of St Vincent and the Grenadines not only in the immediate period, but also the medium and long term.
The President informed the meeting that a vessel had already departed with 350 tonnes of varied needs including water, water storage containers, sugar, rice, peas, chowmein, sanitisers, detergents, disinfectant, personal care items and supplies for infants.
That vessel was due to arrive in St Vincent and the Grenadines on Saturday. A twenty-foot container of water also left on a Tropical Shipping vessel today.
Another shipment of items was being prepared for departure on Monday, April 19 that would include water, sugar, rice, assorted food items and personal care and hygiene items.
President Ali also committed to sending a further 50 water tanks to St Vincent and the Grenadines and 50 water tanks to Barbados in response to an appeal from Prime Minister Mia Mottley.
President Ali said that the Government had received immense support from the private sector which had mobilised financial resources. It was the Government’s intention to supplement this.
The President was accompanied by Prime Minister, Hon Brigadier Ret’d Mark Phillips, Hon. Hugh Todd, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ambassador Elisabeth Harper, Permanent Secretary, Ms Marcia Nadir-Sharma, Cabinet Secretary Acting, and Ambassador George Talbot, Director of Department of the Americas, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
