On the heels of a request by Chief Secretary Ancil Dennis, urging Tobagonians to give generously to a Caribbean brothers and sisters in St Vincent and the Grenadines, the Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) has launched a collection drive.
The La Soufriere volcano in St Vincent and the Grenadines erupted on Friday and has left thousands displaced and in need.
TEMA director Allan Stewart, in an interview with the Newsday, said the agency began collecting items on Saturday but the drive will roll out on Monday with the necessary advertisements.
He said items could be dropped off at Fairfield Complex, Scarborough.
Stewart urged Vincentians to be patient with the relief agencies that are being mobilised throughout the region to render assistance.
“They have to be very patient with the authorities because you could be blindsided by not seeing the whole picture even if you in it. It is just like being without electricity of Internet connectivity.
“Sometimes the people on the outside are seeing more than you are seeing even though you are in the middle of it. So, they have to trust the authorities.”
Stewart said there are properties within the ash that can cause long term health issues, especially for people already suffering with respiratory illnesses.
“There is a gas that comes out of it, sulphur dioxide, and, therefore, they have to pay attention to those things.”
He said unless it is necessary, people should not venture outdoors.
COMMENTS