CHICAGO, Illinois — The South Caribbean country of St. Vincent and the Grenadines comprises the main island and 32 accompanying islands and cays. Following 42 years of silence, La Soufriere, a 4,094-foot stratovolcano on the north side of the main island of St. Vincent, began to signal activity in December 2020 with a slow-growing lava dome at the top and the steady flow of magma down its slopes. A series of incredibly destructive eruptions then began on the morning of April 9, 2021 and continued throughout the month of April. The destruction caused by the eruption was significant, displacing nearly 1,450 families. With swift humanitarian assistance, evacuees are starting to receive the support they need. World Central Kitchen is one of the many organizations involved in the humanitarian aid to the St. Vincent eruption.
The Vulnerability of St. Vincent and the Grenadines
St. Vincent and the Grenadines’s status as a volcanic small island developing state makes it vulnerable to high losses as a result of severe natural disasters. The island’s small size, remoteness, dispersion, vulnerability to natural hazards, economic dependence on outside foreign bodies, limited fresh water, lack of natural resources, and dependence on imports create risks for a dangerous situation to be exacerbated.
A 2016 study revealed that up to one-third of St. Vincent and the Grenadines’s landmass is potentially exposed to pyroclastic flows, mudflows and projectiles, while the entire country is exposed to the “damaging effects of ashfall on crops, infrastructure and water supply.” The risk to the population is significant; 15% of people are located in very high-risk and high-risk zones. In addition, more than 90% are exposed to some volcanic hazard, such as ash.
The 2021 Eruption and the Humanitarian Impact
La Soufriere initially erupted on April 9. The energy of the initial eruptions was significant enough that “NASA’s Terra satellite measured part of the plume at altitudes of 12 miles” above sea level. The volcano has continued to be active, with its most recent eruption observed on April 22. Additional dangers include, “dense currents of 200 to 700 degree Celsius liquid,” frequent earthquakes and landslides.
Thanks to early warnings, most people in the riskiest areas were able to evacuate to safety. In fact, around 20,000 people have had to evacuate the northern part of St. Vincent. More than 80 shelters, the majority of which are housed in public schools, support these evacuees.
A lack of access to fresh water and electricity has been widespread. Markedly, the weekend following the first eruption, 110,000 people were left without clean drinking water or electricity, which is the majority of the population of the main island of St. Vincent. The government has estimated that the volcano caused $100 million worth of damage in the first two weeks alone. Moreover, an estimated 1,400 displaced families will need immediate economic assistance. The Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, asked for help early on. Gonsalves stated, “we are not able to do the humanitarian effort, we are not able to do the recovery, we will not be able to without substantial assistance from the region and global community.”
World Central Kitchen’s Aid
The global community to which Gonsalves called for help has stepped up to the plate. World Central Kitchen’s humanitarian aid to the St. Vincent eruption has centered around its vision that “food can be a powerful agent of positive change in distressed communities.”
The work of World Central Kitchen began following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Now, the organization offers food resilience programs, provides access to professional culinary training, creates jobs and improves food security for people all over the world. For example, World Central Kitchen has built and/or rehabilitated 150 school or community kitchens in Haiti and Guatemala. It has also provided food safety and sanitation training to more than 700 school cooks responsible for feeding more than 80,000 Central American students. Moreover, the organization worked alongside small businesses to promote sustainability and spearheaded the Chef Relief Training program, which aims to certify culinary professionals in the methodology of emergency food response.
Hope in Times of Crisis
World Central Kitchen’s work answering calls around the world to serve meals in the aftermath of a disaster has helped communities build resilience. It has also contributed to healing in times of crisis. In fact, World Central Kitchen has served more than 50 million fresh meals to people impacted by natural disasters since its inception in 2010. Its model leverages local resources and combines adaptability with swift action. Not only does World Central Kitchen partner with local organizations on the ground, but it also provides “freshly made, nutritious meals to survivors of disasters quickly and effectively.” World Central Kitchen operates on the premise that “food provides not only nourishment, but also comfort and hope, especially in times of crisis.”
World Central Kitchen’s humanitarian aid to the St. Vincent eruption has been far-reaching. The organization is providing 4,000 meals daily to more than 50 locations on the main island of St. Vincent. The organization also supports the local economy by purchasing meals from restaurants on the islands to provide to their residents. Additionally, with many shelters lacking running water and thus, the capability to cook, World Central Kitchen is delivering lunch and dinner daily. Most recently, World Central Kitchen Staff has moved to increase production in St. Vincent. The organization deployed additional staff, set up an additional kitchen at the Hospitality & Maritime Institute and partnered with further local restaurants. The organization is hopeful that these additional resources will allow for the production of up to 8,000 hot meals each day.
– Brittany Granquist
Photo: Twitter, With Permission from World Central Kitchen