We are very sorry to report that St Vincent has declared a national state of emergency following a series of volcanic eruptions during the weekend and that these seem set to continue according to NEMO, the Grenadines National Emergency Management Organization.
This photograph was sent to us by one of our colleagues in Mustique. Known locally as the "Iron Man", this war memorial is the St Vincent and the Grenadines Cenotaph. It is indeed a tragedy to see it about to be shrouded in ash from the first of several eruptions of La Soufrière volcano on St Vincent.
We have been in touch with friends and colleagues on Mustique and St Vincent over the weekend and their stories are tinged with so much sadness and anxiety. Descriptions of their homes and neighbourhoods on St Vincent include it feeling as if they are all covered in dry cement and one of the biggest concerns is that the ash turns heavy and leaden when mixed with water. There is huge concern about the natural world and what effect this will have on it in the longer term.
However, in the short term, with as many as 30,000 residents already evacuated and ongoing supply problems with fresh water and essential power, help for Vincentian friends is needed urgently.
Residents can hear the rumbling of the volcano and everyone who is staying at home has been trying to protect themselves and their families from the dust and debris.
In these videos you can see the devastation and understand why international help is urgently required:
In our Instagram stories, we are bringing you updates from our friends and colleagues on Mustique and St Vincent. In the meantime, the Mustique Charitable Foundation has started a "gofundme", should you wish to make a donation to the St Vincent Volcano Relief fund from the US. If you are based in the UK and wish to donate, please use this link for "justgiving".
The Mustique Charitable Trust is paying for the delivery, by boat, of 28,000 gallons of fresh water from Mustique each day. The Mustique Company has sent a representative to assess the situation on St Vincent to see how else they might be able to help - sending medical equipment and masks to try to counteract the ash dust amongst many other things.
Thankfully everyone is doing well on Mustique but our thoughts are with each and everyone affected by this disaster.
