Efforts are underway to manage the quantity of relief supplies being sent to St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) and Grenada as local and regional disaster officials continue to oversee relief coordination.

Damage caused by Hurricane Beryl earlier this week affected these two territories, as well as several Grenadine islands such as Canouan, Union Island, Mayreau in SVG, and Carriacou and Petit Martinique in Grenada.

The coordination of assistance to the affected states involves the National Office of Disaster Services (NODS), which can be contacted by individuals and groups willing to contribute to the relief efforts.

A virtual meeting held on Thursday by the CDEMA heads and national disaster coordinators emphasized the necessity to avoid overwhelming the impacted territories with relief supplies that are not listed as required by the affected states.

Therefore, a list of required relief items has been made available on NODS’ Facebook and Instagram pages, which will be updated regularly as assessments and response operations progress.

The listed items include non-perishable food, water, toiletries, baby and adult diapers, wipes, baby formula, cots, sleeping blankets, pillows, and chain saws, among others.

The government of Grenada has announced that it will not be accepting personal relief items until July 31.

Those interested in providing assistance can make cash donations to the disaster relief fund for St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada, or through CDEMA, which has also established an account for this purpose.

CDEMA has been called upon to offer support in operations, rapid needs assessment, debris management, and water and sanitation.