Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre has highlighted the urgency of climate mitigation and adaptation and the need for climate justice after a visit to the hurricane-ravaged sister island of Grenada, Carriacou.
The PM paid a one-day visit to Grenada on Wednesday.
“Hurricane Beryl provided first-hand interaction with the victims of the ravages of Climate Change,” Pierre wrote on Facebook.
He also spoke of the ‘horror stories’ of the victims’ experiences.
The Saint Lucia Prime Minister indicated that urgent mitigation and adaptation measures and climate justice would assist in rebuilding stronger.
“My colleagues in the OECS and wider CARICOM have been amongst the first to respond to the distress calls of our sister islands and we will continue to provide support,” Pierre stated.
He thanked Grenada Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell for facilitating the visit.
In addition, Pierre thanked Prime Ministers Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica and Terrance Drew of St. Kitts and Nevis for standing in solidarity with the hurricane-affected sister isles.
Hurricane Beryl devastated 90% of all buildings – the airport, marinas, gas stations, the hospital, and homes on Grenada’s sister islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique.
Beryl also damaged homes, impacted the agriculture and forestry sectors, and disrupted electricity and water distribution in Grenada’s north.
In addition, the storm left a trail of devastation in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Beryl was the first hurricane of a predicted very active 2024 Atlantic Hurricane season, prompting warnings that the worst may not be over.
After the hurricane’s devastation, the region and the international community have mobilised a massive relief aid programme to assist the affected islands.
