The World Bank Group recently conducted a scoping mission to assess
the damage caused by Hurricane Beryl in St Vincent and the
Grenadines.
The August 5 to 9th mission is a critical step toward the implementation
of a US$63 million Beryl Emergency Recovery Loan (ERL) project
aimed at supporting the nation’s recovery efforts.
The team included Jared Mercadante, Disaster Risk Management
(DRM) Specialist and Task Team Leader (TTL); Elad Shenfeld, Senior
DRM Specialist and Co-TTL; Gerald Meier, Senior DRM Consultant
and Decima Corea, Local Consultant.
The team held consultations with Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves,
Minister of Finance, Camillo Gonsalves and other Government
Ministers; several government agencies and ministries to gather
comprehensive insights into the disaster’s impact and the country’s
needs.
In addition to meetings in Kingstown, the team, along with stakeholders,
conducted field visits to Union Island, Mayreau, Canouan, and Bequia
which allowed the team to directly observe and assess the extent of the
damage caused by Hurricane Beryl.
The findings from this mission will inform the design and
implementation of the Beryl Emergency Recovery Loan (ERL), ensuring
that the funds are allocated effectively to support the rehabilitation of
critical infrastructure and the enhancement of disaster resilience across
St Vincent and the Grenadines.
