The United Kingdom (UK) has announced that it will provide £500,000 in financial support to Caribbean countries severely impacted by Hurricane Beryl. The aid includes 800 emergency shelter kits and 1,620 water collection buckets to assist those whose homes and livelihoods were devastated by the storm. This immediate relief is part of the UK's disaster preparedness plans, with supplies already dispatched to Grenada and St Vincent and the Grenadines. Newly appointed UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy emphasised the urgency of the climate crisis and the need for swift action, aligning with the UK's commitment to support recovery efforts in the region.

UK to assist Caribbean countries hit by Beryl

Jamaica Gleaner/6 Jul 2024

NEWLY APPOINTED foreign secretary of the United Kingdom (UK) David Lammy says his government is moving to provide financial support to meet the needs of those severely impacted by Hurricane Beryl in the Caribbean.

Britain’s new Prime Minister Keir Starmer appointed Lammy as foreign secretary after his Labour Party won a landslide victory over Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives on Thursday.

In what is likely to be one of his first assignments, Lammy said the UK would be providing support in the sum of £500,000 for Caribbean countries most affected by the destruction of Hurricane Beryl.

The financial support is providing immediate relief to meet the needs of those whose homes and livelihoods have been impacted.

Hurricane Beryl, the earliest storm of Category 4 strength to form in the Atlantic, devastated sections of the Eastern Caribbean before it unleashed its fury on the southern coast of Jamaica and other parts of the country.

The financial support from the UK includes 800 emergency shelter kits – capable of supporting up to 4,000 people.

These have already been dispatched to Grenada and St Vincent and the Grenadines after their islands suffered devastating damage earlier this week.

The emergency shelters, along with 1,620 buckets for households to collect and store water, have been sent from supplies prepositioned in the region as part of the UK’s preparedness plans.

“Our thoughts remain with those who have lost loved ones, their homes or have been left without power,” Lammy said, adding: “This funding will help support disaster recovery efforts, as part of a swift and coordinated response in the region.

“That such a storm has developed so early in the season shows that we are facing a climate emergency and must act now,” the UK foreign secretary declared.

Following a request from the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), the UK has also provided support for deployment of regional teams to assist the national disaster offices with emergency operations, relief and logistics management, telecommunication, security issues and sectoral assessments.

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