A good gesture offered to St. Vincent by President Ali

Apr 10, 2021 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,

Kaieteur News – It was Black Friday in St. Vincent when the volcano erupted less than 24 hours after Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves ordered an evacuation by residents. This prompted Guyana’s President, Irfaan Ali, to call Gonsalves and offer assistance by way of supplies and accommodation. It was a good gesture by President Ali not only on humanitarian grounds, but SVG is a Caricom State and PM Gonsalves played an important role when in his capacity as Chairman of CARICOM. Up to the time of writing, the total effect is not yet known, but what is certain flights will be disrupted because of the ash. There is a close affinity between Guyana and St Vincent and the Grenadines. Scores of Guyanese have been living there for decades including a few well known including Barbara Bollers, daughter of Guyana’s first Chancellor of the Judiciary, Sir Kenneth Stoby, Dr. Francesa Burnham — Onu, daughter of late President Forbes Burnham. Forbes first wife, Sheila, lived many years in St. Vincent with her daughter and died in that island. Former attorney general, Emerson Robertson, was married to a Guyanese Shirey Marshak Robertson, a medical doctor, and they have two daughters who are lawyers.
I worked in the multi island state for five years as Solicitor General and acting DPP and played a very important role in their community. My work while I served as PRO to the Rotary Club where large sums of moneys were realised for the construction of the School for Special needs. I have several friends there including Prime Minister Gonsalves; architect Moulton Mayers and Douglas Williams, attorney at law and former Speaker of the House. His first wife was also a Guyanese who died at a relatively young age.
Friday’s eruption was the second in 42 years. Incidentally before moving to SVG I worked in Montserrat and that tiny island suffered an eruption in 1997 where 19 persons were killed and 65 percent of the island was totally damaged including the capital Plymouth. Six thousand residents fled seeking refuge in the UK, Antigua, and other Caribbean islands. Some took up residence in rural Guyana.
A CNN report on Friday stated that evacuation orders were put into place in about a dozen districts , affected and Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said on Friday that 20,000 people live in the red zone and up to Friday midday 4,500 have been evacuated — most seeking shelters in make shift accommodation. The governments of Dominica, Grenada, Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda have agreed to accommodate some of the evacuees. Also offering assistance in other areas like transportation and logistics are the United States Southern Command, Venezuela, Cuba and the Regional Security System. Three Cruise Ships will assist in ferrying the evacuees. Guyana Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon, issued a statement that the opposition supports the move by President Ali to assist the Vincentians. Meanwhile PM Gonsalves has appealed to mini bus operators to continue assisting with the movement of persons from the red zone to more comfortable accommodations.
“Based on initial scientific assessments, at a minimum the recovery could take four months depending on the duration of the eruption,” the Prime Minister said.

Oscar Ramjeet

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