St Vincent and the Grenadines - The Combined response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the La Soufriere eruption - PAHO/WHO

“We are a resilient people; we are strong” this statement was made more times than one could count during our visit to St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

For clarity, imagine this ... You are in the safety and comfort of your own home in a state of peace. Two days later a global deadly virus is announced, and everyone is at risk. This virus has already killed hundreds of thousands. You are now confined to the safety of your house. You manage to navigate the deadly virus but alas here comes another one, this time mosquito borne, threatening your existence. AND……Just when you thought it could not get any worse, the volcano on your island decides to WAKE UP!

This is not a script from a disaster movie, it is the story of St. Vincent and the Grenadines told in real time. The onslaught of COVID-19 in 2020, a deadly dengue outbreak from July to December during the same year and the eruption of the La Soufriere volcano on April 9th 2021.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines is located in the southeast Winward islands of the Lesser Antilles. The volcanic island is 151 square miles and has a population close to 104,000. St. Vincent is the main island while thirty-two small islands make up the Grenadines inclusive of Bequia, Union Island and Mustique.

The triple effect of COVID-19, an ongoing dengue outbreak and the La Soufriere volcanic eruption in 2020 and 2021 exposed the strength and fortitude of the Vincentian people and its administration. The combined effort of the government authorities, the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO), Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and agencies such as the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) puts a distinctive spotlight on the goodness of humanity.

Here is a stark dose of reality, many first world nations buckle under single disasters- This was not the case with St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the question is, how did the country cope and where did it begin?

Dr Roger Duncan, Medical Officer of Health in St. Vincent and the Grenadines gave a simple breakdown.

The importance of emergency management comes to the fore, ensuring all teams and agencies were on the same page was crucial to handling this ongoing triple crisis. Chief Medical Officer of St Vincent and the Grenadines- Dr. Simone Kaizer-Beache gives insight into the efficiency of the coordinated response and how they managed.

La Soufriere’s last eruption was on April 13th, 1979, this activity would continue until June of that year. The volcanic activity displaced more than twenty thousand citizens and caused severe damage to agriculture and houses.

In 2021, close to fourteen thousand people had to be evacuated from their homes. How did the evacuation work, during a pandemic with already limited resources?

David Latchman, Health Planner in the Ministry of Health, took the team to Chateaubelair, a village located at the time in the orange zone on the Leeward end of the island. David described the situation as extremely challenging. He stressed however that all forces were mobilized and as difficult as it appeared the goal was accomplished.

Immediately following the eruption of the volcano, PAHO activated its Incident Management Support Team (IMST) and Health Emergency Operation Center (EOC) at regional, subregional and national levels. Two days after the eruption, PAHO had personnel on the ground to support the Ministry of Health (MOH), and others on stand-by for rapid deployment.

In the meantime, personnel at PAHO/WHO’s Office in St. Vincent and the Grenadines were on high alert. According to Mrs. Nicole Slack-Liburd, PAHO/WHO Country Program Specialist for St. Vincent and the Grenadines at that time and now Country Program Specialist in Dominica, “Even though I knew it was a volcanic eruption, I don’t think I processed it like that, but I knew we were going to be called upon to respond and so I made the necessary contacts with the Ministry of Health to offer support”.

Mrs. Nicole Slack-Liburd, PAHO/WHO Country Program Specialist, St. Vincent and the Grenadines

“I was prepared and ready to do what was necessary but at the same time I was like, it is not a hurricane, it is not an earthquake, it is a volcano! I am going to prepare for whatever is coming although I was not sure what it was” she said. Participating in previous meetings with the Ministry of Health and other government officials helped with the readiness and preparedness to tackle multiple emergencies at one time, the volcanic eruption coupled with the current COVID-19 situation.”

Mr. Clemens Buter, PAHO/WHO Incident Manager

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) assistance was one of the priority needs of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, following the La Soufriere eruption.

As accounted by PAHO/WHO Incident Manager for the volcano response Mr Clemens Buter, who was stationed in the PAHO/WHO Barbados office, “one of the first things done after a disaster is to find a WASH expert as critical services such as health care facilities need access to potable water. Engineer Ton Vlugman who is one of the most senior WASH experts in the region and a retired staff member of PAHO/WHO was asked to travel to St. Vincent and the Grenadines. On April 11, 2021, he was the first PAHO/WHO personnel to arrive in the country, equipped with supplies like water purification tablets and water testing kits.”

The Evacuation process was not a walk in the park. It was a stressful exercise for everyone in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The teams at NEMO, the Ministry of Health, PAHO and the St. Vincent and the Grenadines administration were literally operating in superhero mode, the pandemic and pyroclastic combination was a hazardous one. The ultimate goal, “Safety and country first- leaving no one behind”.

Dora James works with the Red Cross in Chateaubelair, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. She wore many hats; the first one was that of an evacuee.

When all was said and done the safety of Dora’s community was a priority. As a Red Cross Team Leader, she ensured with the help of all the agencies that no one was left behind.

The Covid-19 pandemic indirectly set in motion the use of emergency and disaster management skills that were soon to be utilized as a result of the La Soufriere eruption. During the evacuation period, there was the fear that there may be a rampant spread of the virus in the shelters. This was strategically avoided. There were 87 activated shelters across St Vincent and the Grenadines during the evacuation period.

Donna Joyette Bascombe, Director of Health Security, describes how the pandemic played a somewhat positive role in the routines at the shelters and its influence on the overall response.

Our journey takes us to the Village of Sandy Bay located in the parish of Charlotte on the Winward side of the island- located about 6.5 km from the La Soufriere volcano (about an hour’s drive from the village to the Trailhead). The village is home to one of the largest Garifuna communities in St. Vincent. The Garifuna is a mixture of Caribs and Africans. Sandy Bay, located in the red zone at the time faced mass evacuation, leaving many with the unforgettable experience of days turning into night, structural and agricultural damage and the fear of what was to come.

Meet Dewayne Child, affectionately known as “Petey”, and proprietor of the GSpot Restaurant in Sandy Bay. Petey always dreamed of having an active volcano experience, having heard many stories about the 1979 eruption, he believed it would be somewhat of an adventure. His expectations were about to change.

Petey was told to pack for three days, he had taken his family to Enhams on Thursday April 8th. On Sunday April 11th 2021 he hesitantly ventured back to Sandy Bay to replenish clothing, supplies and other necessities. Petey says it was his worst experience ever and remembers the trip like it happened yesterday.

After arriving safely at Enhams from the near tragic ordeal, the situation escalated. Sadly, Petey’s uncle Rudolph Frankie Child passed away on Sunday night from kidney complications.

Like most if not all of us across the globe, the Covid-19 pandemic took a toll on our mental wellness. Whether directly or indirectly, loss of loved ones, loss of income, opportunities lost, the world as we knew it was practically at a standstill. In St Vincent and the Grenadines coping with a pandemic and an active volcano simultaneously was nothing short of what could be deemed mental warfare.

Roselle Solomon, Social Worker in the Ministry of Health, shares with us the impact of the ongoing hazards on the mental wellness of the Vincentian population and the possible fallout.

Director of Health Security Donna Bascombe was extremely concerned for the mental and physical welfare of her team. She comments on what life was like by the time the challenge of the volcano came around.

Senior Nursing Officer- Community Nursing Services in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sister Julie Douglas Russell gave some insight on the overall mood and spirit of the nursing community and health care workers on the island.

Sister Julie Douglas Russell, Senior Nursing Officer- Community Nursing Services in St. Vincent and the Grenadines

“Health care workers should feel safe and protected at their workplace; however, this was not possible in St Vincent and the Grenadines during both crises. The health care workers did a phenomenal job, we had our trials and tribulations and still had to deal with our loved ones. I saw where some persons had mild and more so moderate anxiety, I can truly say that the health care workers in St Vincent and the Grenadines are strong people. We saw team cohesion; we ensured behavioral control that helped us with self-protection and on an ethical level nurses applied the evidence-based knowledge to a great extent that happily we did not lose any health care workers.”

No man is an island. In the case of St. Vincent and the Grenadines the overwhelming support received regionally and internationally could never be measured. The Pan American Health Organization played a crucial role in the coordinated response to St. Vincent and the Grenadines in its time of need. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Simone Kaizer Beache commends PAHO for their continued and significant assistance to the people of St. Vincent.

Health Care Workers continue to go above and beyond during any crisis, sometimes not realizing the toll taken on their mental and physical being. Director of Health Security Donna Bascobme opened up to us when asked about the resilience of the Vincentian people and her personal coping mechanism.

Meanwhile, back in Sandy Bay, Mary Edwina Baptiste makes her way towards our team, her weather worn face exhibiting minor discomfort mixed with the confidence of a woman on a mission.

“I make coconut oil” she says “twenty dollars a bottle.” Barely five-foot-tall, this Garifuna descendant stands proud and strong as she plies her trade, her only form of income since the pandemic and the devastation of the La Soufriere volcano in 2021. Mary’s story is not solitary, like many others she feels the hard pinch to survive, making ends meet and struggling to feed her children. She does her best to keep it together, she says and prides herself on “not stressing”. A bottle of coconut oil is purchased, we banter a bit and share feel good stories about “Vincy people” focusing on their strength and determination to rise above the ashes….

Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Health Emergencies and Disaster Response

Health Emergency and Disaster Preparedness