Volcanic eruptions on St Vincent have displaced about 20% of the Caribbean island’s population, as a UN official warned of a growing humanitarian crisis.
Between 16,000 to 20,000 people were evacuated under government orders before La Soufrière volcano first erupted on Friday, covering the lush green island with ash that continues to blanket communities in St Vincent as well as Barbados and other nearby islands.
About 6,000 of those evacuees are considered most vulnerable, said Didier Trebucq, the United Nations resident coordinator for Barbados and the eastern Caribbean.
“So we are facing a situation with a great deal of uncertainty, and also a humanitarian crisis that is growing and may continue for weeks and months,” he said.
Trebucq said that based on certain information and preliminary estimations, 20,000 people are “estimated at risk of food insecurity, given the loss of the assets in terms of livelihood like fisheries, or agriculture”.
About 4,000 people are temporarily living in 87 government shelters, while others have relocated to hotels or the homes of friends and family, officials said. Trebucq noted that many shelters were lacking basic services including drinking water.
He said the top priority was water, which is being transported from nearby Caribbean nations and other contributors since water systems shut down in many parts of the island.
He said the second most urgent issue was meeting the needs of the 4,000 people in shelters, including cots and basic supplies, sanitation, hygiene and emergency latrines.
“We are dealing with a crisis within the Covid crisis,” he said. “Many health facilities have been affected by the ashes.”
Ralph Gonsalves, the prime minister, said on Wednesday during a press conference broadcast by local station NBC radio that people need to strictly adhere to Covid-19 measures to avoid outbreaks.
“We cannot have that at anytime, and most of all, at this time,” he said.
He also said a big issue is trying to determine the needs of those staying in hundreds of private homes across the island, adding that registration of those evacuees continues.
Officials also urged those remaining in communities closest to the volcano to evacuate as soon as possible, noting that the explosions were ongoing and causing new pyroclastic flows.
“I don’t want them to die like that,” said Richard Robertson with the University of the West Indies’ Seismic Research Center. “It’s not a nice way to go.”
Friday’s explosion produced only ash, but pyroclastic flows have multiplied as the volcano shifts shape with each new eruption, some of which have been stronger than the one recorded last week. Robertson said volcanic activity is expected to continue for days or even weeks. The volcano had a minor eruption in December after a previous eruption in 1979. An eruption in 1902 killed about 1,600 people.
Water continues to be of great concern, although Garth Saunders, the minister of the island’s water and sewer authority, said on Wednesday that the situation was improving and that more water supply systems were coming back on. He added that crews were prioritizing bakeries so people can have basic sustenance.
“We are doing our best,” he said.
Trebucq said the goal was to ensure people’s lives go back to normal as soon as possible, but worried about the impact on the island’s tourism and agricultural sectors. The UN is mobilizing experts through the UN Environment Program in collaboration with the European Union to help remove and dispose of the ashes, he said.
“This is a crisis that is going to certainly last more than six months in St Vincent and other islands,” he said.