A campaign has been launched to help the 6,000 residents of the tiny Caribbean island of Carriacou who have been affected by Hurricane Beryl.
With their homes and belongings destroyed the islanders are now urgently in need of clothes, underwear and footwear, non-prescription medicines, sanitary products, basic building materials, rope and tarpaulin.
Hurricane Beryl hit Carriacou, a Grenadan island in the eastern Caribbean, last Monday (1 July). Within half an hour of the storm making landfall reports say the island was “flattened”.
CBS News has reported that there has been an, “Almost total damage or destruction of all buildings, whether they be public buildings, homes or other private facilities,” according to Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell.
“Complete devastation and destruction of agriculture. Complete and total destruction of the natural environment. There is literally no vegetation left anywhere on the island of Carriacou,” he added.
The storm also tore off 95 per cent of building roofs on Carriacou and the nearby island Petit Martinique, which this appeal will also help.
Carriacou Island also saw an “almost complete destruction” of the electrical grid, said the Prime Minister.
Local plumber, David Lambert has parents on the island and is now working hard to get the islanders, and his parents, as much support as possible.
With all communications cut off, David didn’t know whether his 83-year-old dad Chris and mum Angela, 78, had survived the storm until a cousin made contact on Wednesday, three days later.
Separated
Their home, however, had been badly damaged by the 160mph winds and torrential rain and currently no one on the 13 square mile island has access to either electricity or freshwater supplies.
David’s father is also now in hospital and separated from his mum which is also causing worry at a time when David said, “loved ones should be together”.
You can donate clothes, underwear and footwear, non-prescription medicines, sanitary products, basic building materials, rope and tarpaulin by taking them to Sauce Experience, Unit 59 Murdock Rd, Manton Land Industrial Estate, MK41 7PL.
People can also leave financial donations to support David’s family and other victims of the hurricane here and find more information can be found on their Facebook page.
