World Bank Conducts Scoping Mission to St Vincent and the Grenadines

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.