by Curlan Campbell
- Carriacou and Petite Martinique suffered 98% infrastructural damage
- US$100,000 pledged by Red Cross Society of China to support local relief efforts
- Ambassador Hongtian donated essential supplies to NaDMA
On 3 July 2024, Chinese Ambassador Wei Hongtian donated essential supplies to the National Disaster coordinator of the National Disaster Management Agency (NaDMA), Dr Terence Walters, at NaDMA headquarters in Richmond Hill, Morne Jaloux, destined for the people of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, which suffered 98% infrastructural damage. Ambassador Wei, accompanied by other Chinese officials and private sector members, met briefly with Dr Walters before making the official handover. NaDMA officials and volunteers from the Cadet Corp assisted in offloading the supplies at NaDMA’s warehouse.
Ambassador Wei indicated that this donation was just the start of the assistance to come and announced that the Red Cross Society of China has pledged US$100,000 to support relief efforts.
“When you are suffering, we also are suffering. When our friends [are] in trouble, we are also in trouble,” Ambassador Wei said. “So we are trying our best to help and I assure you that we will continue that assistance. I think that by standing together, we can get through any difficulty, any challenge, and I would like to take this occasion to officially announce that the Red Cross Society of China has decided to donate US$100,000 to Grenada’s government for its relief work. The money is ready; I will hand over this money to your government as early as possible.”
Dr Walters expressed his gratitude for the donation, stating, “I can assure you that it will go a long way in relieving the suffering of the people of Carriacou and Petite Martinique as they face these very difficult circumstances.” He said, “Having lost almost everything on houses and infrastructure. So we need to ensure that we provide assistance for them as quickly as possible. And this contribution today, this donation here to the people of Carriacou and Petite Martinique and the people of Grenada as a whole, will definitely go a long way, and we thank you for that. And we look forward to our continued collaboration with the Embassy of China here in Grenada.”
A day earlier, the Grenada Red Cross Society sent a team of volunteers to Carriacou and Petite Martinique on a boat provided by the national authorities with 200 tarpaulins and 50 shelter kits.
