–President Ali emphasises importance of helping to rebuild lives, livelihoods

FIFTY ranks from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) will be deployed to Grenada and St. Vincent and Grenadines to aid in rebuilding efforts following the destructive passage of Hurricane Beryl.

The GDF’s mission, Guyana’s President, Dr. Irfaan Ali said, is to restore normalcy and demonstrate the values of passion, love, and service learnt in their training.

“Today, you are a representation of what the Guyana Defence Force is all about: Service to nation, service to people, and making a difference,” the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces said on Friday at GDF’s Base Camp Ayanganna.

“Take with you the love, pride and rich tradition of what makes us Guyanese; strength of character and a sense of purpose as you help assist the nations within CARICOM [the Caribbean Community] to rebuild,” he added.

Beryl set a record for the first-ever Category 4 storm in June in the Atlantic, making landfall last week on Carriacou, in Grenada, and wrecking nearby islands.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Jamaica, Barbados, and St. Lucia were among some of the Caribbean States that were affected by the Category 4 hurricane.

Thousands of people across Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines were left homeless by the storm, which killed at least seven people, and destroyed schools, businesses and crops.

“You’re not only going to be contributing to the rebuilding of infrastructure, homes and offices, but you will be contributing to the rebuilding of lives and livelihoods. Your mission would involve primarily the rebuilding of key installation and infrastructure, so that government and government services can return in a quick and efficient manner, and to a sense of normalcy.”

The 50 soldiers will join another eight who left to provide support earlier, and are expected to leave as early as Sunday.
Meanwhile Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier Omar Khan noted that the mission ahead is a demonstration of the GDF’s commitment to regional security and cooperation.

“Our Commander-in-Chief has directed that we are not only trained fundamentally to be soldiers, but we are trained to rebuild homes, lives and communities, and we are extending that service to a sister nation within our hemisphere.”

Soldiers were deployed to Grenada to provide humanitarian aid following a similar incident 20 years ago.

In a joint press conference facilitated by the United Nations on Thursday, St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, and Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell voiced a collective call, highlighting the importance of funding to address the climate crisis and rebuilding efforts.

“Together, they constitute Beryl’s Armageddon,” said Prime Minister Gonsalves, who emphasised that “In just a few hours, entire islands were decimated.”

“Across St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the faces of men, women and children are strained and anxious; they are apprehensive. My country has had four significant disasters or emergencies since 2020 ‘COVID’… There were 21 volcanic eruptions; there was Hurricane Elsa, and then now a Category Four hurricane,” Prime Minister Gonsalves added.

Leaders are hoping to muster at least $9 million in assistance from the international community.

In an effort to assist 43,000 people, the United Nations joined the call for assistance, stating that $5 million of the $9 million sought will go to Grenada, and the remaining amount to St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Grenada has recorded devastating damage, and while there is optimism to rebuild, tremendous financial aid is required.

“90 per cent of all buildings in these islands were destroyed: Homes, schools, commercial buildings, shops, airport, food facilities, marinas gas station, hospital health centres, community centres the road infrastructure, the shoreline, the coastline,” Grenada’s Prime Minister said.