Tobago love for St Vincent

Stephan Mills, right, team leader at TEMA's warehouse, prepares a shipment of water to be delivered to St Vincent. The donation was made by Naseem Smith, principal of School for Children with Special Needs. - David Reid
Stephan Mills, right, team leader at TEMA's warehouse, prepares a shipment of water to be delivered to St Vincent. The donation was made by Naseem Smith, principal of School for Children with Special Needs. - David Reid

Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) director Allan Stewart has described the island’s relief collection drive for St Vincent and the Grenadines as excellent.

He told Newsday on Tuesday, TEMA has been working with the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) to help the people of St Vincent who have been reeling from the effects of the La Soufriere volcano which has been erupting since Friday last week.

“It is going excellent, I must confess. I am very much moved by it.

“I think there is an unprecedented level of outpouring of what I consider to be Tobago's love – it has been going good so far.”

Two relief collection centres have been established – one at the Tobago Emergency Operations Centre in Fairfield Complex, Scarborough and at the other at the Tobago Disaster Relief warehouse in Signal Hill.

Stewart said, at the end of the first day four trucks were loaded. And while only one left for Trinidad on Monday evening, the other three were scheduled to depart on Tuesday evening.

He said items are still being collected and can be dropped off at the collection centres from Monday to Friday between the hours of 8am and 4pm.

People and organisations interested in donating are asked to follow the immediate-needs list provided by the National Emergency Management Organisation of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

“No clothing. Hygiene stuff will be welcomed: Soap, bleach, disinfectants, hygiene kits, sleeping mats,” Stewart said.

“Sleeping mats have become very important. What is happening, a number of persons are within homes in St Vincent. Some people are taking in ten to 12 persons, but they have no room to sleep. They have to sleep on the floor and things like that. An appeal came out of St Vincent straight to our office that – ‘Tell them that we need to have mattresses to sleep because we have to put people on the ground to sleep.’ They would have also asked for water tanks.”

Stewart said while many people would want to give many items in the spirit of humanitarianism, it is important that no unsolicited supplies be sent which may overwhelm the country’s logistics system.

“The public needs to understand – I may have some old pants home, but that is not the need. What is on the list is exactly what they are asking for.”

The request list includes water tanks (800- and 1,000-gallon), bucket (5-gallon), folding cots, portable potties (toilets), blankets, field tents (20ft x 20ft) and (910ft x 10ft), field kitchens, sleeping mats, respirator masks with filters, goggles, reflective vests, caution tape (100ft roll), hygiene kits.

Stewart said people can also contribute water and canned food.

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"Tobago love for St Vincent"

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