The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has offered immediate response support to Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to address some of the most urgent needs resulting from the devastation caused by Hurricane Beryl which affected both countries last week.   

The Bank is currently in discussions with the respective governments regarding support packages which include both grant and concessional loan financing to address immediate challenges in the respective territories that are grappling with damage to power, telecommunications, health, and social service facilities in the wake of the storm.     

A CDB delegation, which includes senior leaders and technical personnel is currently in Grenada holding multi-sectoral meetings with high-level government officials to fast-track hurricane response support. The Bank’s team, led by Acting President, Mr. Isaac Solomon met with Prime Minister, Hon. Dickon Mitchell, Minister of Finance, Hon. Dennis Cornwall, Minister of Economic Development, Hon. Lennox Andrews, and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Mr. Mike Sylvester and other Government officials.  

Prime Minister Mitchell detailed the severe impact of the hurricane which was particularly devastating for the island of Carriacou where most structures were severely damaged, while telecommunications and power systems have been compromised. In addition to the physical damage, the Prime Minister also emphasised the psychological effects on citizens who endured traumatic experiences in the passage and aftermath of the storm.  

Another concern is the widescale damage to education facilities in Carriacou and Petit Martinique, another island that was badly affected. The PM stressed the need for a swift and effective response during the summer months so that students, already coping with the traumatic effects of the storm, would not be at a further disadvantage.  

The Bank delegation was able to see the extent of damage and devastation during a fact-finding tour of Carriacou and Petit Martinique. Acting President, Solomon stressed that Hurricane Beryl highlighted the unique challenges small island developing states face with disaster recovery, which can become even more complicated in the case of archipelagos.  

“Mounting a response to extreme weather events involves numerous complexities when you are dealing with small remote locations that have suffered widespread devastation,” he explained. “It strengthens the case CDB has been making for multi-facetted financing and support for Caribbean countries to build resilience to better withstand climate shocks and also for responsive, multi-level support to cope with the effects when a disaster occurs.”     

The CDB team also includes Mr. Ian Durant, Director of Economics; Mr. O'Reilly Lewis, Director of Projects (Ag); Ms. Camille Taylor, Head of Corporate Communications; and Mr. Paul Saunders, Operations Officer.  Team members spoke directly with residents of Carriacou and Petit Martinique who recounted harrowing experiences of weathering the powerful storm. Immediately following the hurricane, social sector specialists from the Bank were on the ground in both Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to provide psycho-social support which is central to the Bank’s disaster response processes.