WCK serving on St. Vincent following volcano eruption
On April 8 at 8:41am, a massive explosion came from the La Soufrière volcano on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent, the first eruption since 1979. Eruptions have continued in the days since, sending dangerous ash and debris into the air—so deep in some areas that roofs are starting to collapse. Thankfully most residents were able to evacuate safely from the Red Zone, but 20,000 people are now displaced from their homes.
The WCK Relief Team arrived shortly after the first eruption, connecting with local community groups and activating restaurants to prepare hot meals. While some St. Vincent residents were able to evacuate to nearby countries via cruise ship, most have relocated to the south of the island where they are staying in shelters or with family and friends. Private homes are now filled with displaced families, and food and water remain a huge concern for residents.
We are now serving 4,000 meals daily to over 50 locations on St. Vincent. The biggest challenge for the WCK team on the ground is how to reach displaced families that are spread out over a wide area, rather than being in big congregate shelters due to Covid. We are also delivering meals on the island of Bequia, just south of St. Vincent, where some residents have evacuated to.
We met Lolita & Fitz-Allan (left) while delivering the plates across the island made by two local partners, Mariners Hotel and Flow Wine Bar. Sir Roy (right) is staying with friends in the Barrouallie area. By purchasing meals from restaurants, we are also supporting the local economy during this difficult time.
Many schools on St. Vincent have been turned into informal shelters for residents. With no running water, cooking is not possible, so we are delivering lunch and dinner each day. Ms. Kirby (left) oversees the Barrouallie Technical School shelter on the west coast, just south of the Red Zone.
The island is facing compounding challenges in the weeks ahead. Crops and livestock that communities depend on have been completely lost. Water has been contaminated and supplies of bottled options are running low.
To increase our ability to provide fresh food across the island, additional WCK staff are now on St. Vincent and we are setting up a kitchen at the Hospitality & Maritime Institute. In conjunction with our local restaurant partners, we expect to produce up to 8,000 hot meals each day.
Since the volcano erupted, families have opened their homes to shelters evacuees. Danie (left) & her dad immediately began borrowing mattresses to help give others a place to stay—now nearly 40 people are living with them. WCK brought fresh meals to support.
Keisha (right) is the owner of Mariners Hotel in St Vincent and the VP of SVG Hotels & Tourism Association. With WCK, her team cooked a local dish called Stewed Chicken—with brown sugar & spices—and Stewed Soya as a vegetarian option, along with lentils, vegetables & rice.
Lisa (left) is supporting families staying at the Layou Secondary School Shelter. The WCK Relief Team brought comforting plates prepared by a local restaurant.
For the latest updates on our volcano relief efforts on St. Vincent, follow WCK on Twitter and Instagram.
