Ready to help

OUR thoughts and prayers go out to the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia and Dominica, who would have been severely affected by heavy rains over the Christmas holidays. The joyous Yuletide preparations of the residents of those countries were cruelly derailed when, from Monday, December 23 to Christmas Day, torrential rains and high winds resulted in flash flooding, overflowing rivers, washed out bridges, landslides and sadly, loss of life.

The country reports from the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) tell a tragic Christmas tale. At a time when persons around the world were preparing to spend the holidays in celebration with their families, many families in those affected countries will never be the same again. CDEMA reported that up to Boxing Day, eight persons were confirmed dead in St. Vincent; five of them from one family whose house was buried in a landslide. Still in that country, five persons are missing, another five injured and 62 now homeless. In St. Lucia, six were confirmed dead and health facilities have been severely impacted. Water supplies were severely impacted and  an appeal has been issued for drinking water for the entire population. While no deaths had been reported in Dominica, there was significant flash flooding and landslides, affecting several communities. Caribbean governments, non-state agencies and citizens have since sprung into action, sending much-needed donations of non-perishable food items, infant care products and bottled water.

These Caribbean territories were not the only ones to suffer at the hands of Mother Nature this Christmas, as she also disrupted holiday celebrations further afield. The Associated Press reported that a severe winter storm in Europe caused four deaths in the UK and 1 in France. Flood warnings were in effect across England and Wales and hundreds of thousands of homes were without power. Meanwhile, power outages also affected households in the United States and Canada.

However, to our knowledge, dealing with the fallout from bad weather is not unusual at this time of year for persons in wintry climes. For those in the Caribbean, though, the bad weather was an abnormal occurrence, made all the more singular for the severity of its impact. Such unusual and devastating weather is a reminder that climate change remains a serious threat to the development of small island developing states (SIDS), a designation that describes nearly all of the territories in the Caribbean Sea. Studies indicate that global weather patterns are changing and we may soon have to discard conventional attitudes towards the weather – rainy season, dry season, hurricane season – and accept that year round it is open season for a disaster to strike. This will call for continued efforts at both the regional and national levels of improved disaster awareness policies, protocols and resources. Disaster agencies must continue to co-ordinate their efforts to provide to allow for faster and more comprehensive relief efforts. It is noteworthy that 2014 has been designated by the UN as the International Year of SIDS; an occurrence which regional officials hope will mobilise action in ensuring the sustainable development of such territories.

The devastation that has been visited on some of our neighbouring islands reminds us that we remain blessed. Let us give thanks for our good fortune and do what we can to assist our Caribbean brothers and sisters in need. Moreover, as we help them get back on their feet, let us draw inspiration and strength from their ability to recover and strive to show similar resilience in the face of our own challenges.