World Bank to Support Hurricane Beryl-Affected Communities in St. Vincent and the Grenadines
WASHINGTON, DC – The World Bank says its Board of Executive Directors has approved new financing to aid recovery efforts in St. Vincent and the Grenadines following the devastating impact of Hurricane Beryl in July 2024.
The Washington-based financial institution on Friday said the support totals US$63 million, stemming from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank’s support arm for low-income countries.
The World Bank said Hurricane Beryl, a category four storm, caused significant damage across the islands, becoming the strongest hurricane to impact the region since 1875.
The storm affected 56 percent of the population, resulting in catastrophic damage across the Southern Grenadines, where over 90 percent of buildings and critical infrastructure were destroyed, the bank said.
It said vital sectors, like tourism and fishing, were also impacted, leading to considerable economic losses.
Although mainland St. Vincent and the Northern Grenadines experienced less damage, approximately 52 percent of the island’s population suffered significant destruction to housing, transportation infrastructure and public buildings, including schools and fisheries centers, the World Bank said.
In response to this unprecedented disaster, the World Bank said it collaborated with the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines in launching a new recovery project, “which will focus on providing immediate income support to affected communities, restoring economic activity, and rebuilding the island’s critical infrastructure, with enhanced resilience to future climate risks.”
As a part of the project, the World Bank said technical assistance is provided by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery in collaboration with the Canadian-Caribbean Resilience Facility.
“While disasters affect everyone, they often hit vulnerable communities the hardest, leading to increased poverty and inequality,” said Lilia Burunciuc, World Bank Director for the Caribbean. “Through targeted short-term income support and assistance for small businesses, we strive to help those most impacted to start rebuilding their lives.”
The World Bank said the project will prioritize short-term income support by providing temporary income grants to households severely impacted by the hurricane, focusing on vulnerable groups, including women-headed households and those with elderly or disabled members.
The bank said small businesses will also benefit from grants, and that support services will be offered to help them recover.
Further, through a Labor-Intensive Temporary Employment programme, the World Bank said cash-for-work initiatives will support the restoration of community infrastructure and provide jobs to unemployed individuals.
The Beryl Emergency Resilient Recovery Project will also focus on the resilient reconstruction and restoration of critical infrastructure and services damaged by the hurricane.
This includes repairing water systems, public buildings, roads and bridges, ensuring they are built to withstand future natural hazards
The project is expected to directly benefit around 18 percent of the islands’ population, with around 49 percent of those being women, 9 percent elderly, and about 43 percent under the age of 24.
In addition, the World Bank said the entire population of St. Vincent and the Grenadines will experience indirect benefits through the government’s increased capacity to rebuild infrastructure and enhance public resilience.