Belize assists Caribbean islands in recovery from Hurricane Beryl

By Kristen Ku

Belize City, Friday, July 5, 2024

Belize has pledged support to help Caribbean nations recover from the devastating effects of Hurricane Beryl.

The Category 4 hurricane made landfall on Carriacou and Grenada on Monday and moved westward across the Caribbean Sea, bringing heavy rain, strong winds and severe flooding. It eventually slammed into Barbados, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands on Wednesday, killing at least nine people.

In response to the widespread destruction and loss, Belize has pledged its assistance to the affected countries. Prime Minister John Briceño expressed solidarity with the countries hit by the hurricane in a video released Wednesday evening. “I express my solidarity with my Caribbean brothers and sisters in Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, who have been and are still being devastated by the fierce Hurricane Beryl,” he said. “We understand the challenges they face and Belize will do its part to aid in the recovery efforts of our sister Caribbean nations.”

Deputy Prime Minister Cordel Hyde echoed those sentiments, acknowledging the severity of the situation. “I wish we could do more. I mean, we had a dry hurricane recently with Lisa, and you can see the struggle we’re in. It’s just horrifying to read the news and see what these people are going through. There’s no way we can do enough to help them, so we’re going to hit the ground running and hopefully this season will spare the rest of us,” Hyde said.

Today, at the 20th Extraordinary Emergency Meeting of CARICOM Heads of State, Prime Minister Briceño announced that Belize will provide financial assistance to support recovery efforts in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada. He also offered to send line workers to help restore power to the affected areas.

Hurricane Beryl has weakened to a tropical storm after making landfall in the Yucatan Peninsula as a Category 2 hurricane this morning. It is expected to enter the Gulf of Mexico before the end of today and may strengthen again over the weekend.