by Kristen Ku

BELIZE CITY, Fri. July 5, 2024

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

The Category 4 hurricane made landfall on Carriacou Island and Grenada on Monday, unleashing heavy rain, dangerous winds, and severe flooding as it moved westward across the Caribbean. The storm eventually tore through Barbados, Jamaica, and the Cayman Islands on Wednesday, claiming at least nine lives.

In response to the widespread damage and loss, Belize has committed to assisting the affected countries. Prime Minister John Briceño expressed solidarity with the nations hit by the hurricane in a video released on Wednesday evening. “I express our solidarity with our CARICOM brothers and sisters in Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, who were and are being hit by ferocious Hurricane Beryl,” he said. “We understand the challenges they are facing, and Belize will do its part to aid in the recovery efforts in our sister Caribbean nations.”

Deputy Prime Minister Cordel Hyde echoed these sentiments, acknowledging the severity of the situation. “I wish we could do a whole lot more. I mean, we got a dry Hurricane Lisa recently, and you see the mess that left us in. It’s just scary to read and to see what these people are going through. We can’t possibly do enough to help them, and so we’ll make a start, and hopefully this season spares the rest of us,” Hyde said.

Today, at the Twentieth Special Emergency Meeting of CARICOM Heads, PM Briceño announced Belize’s financial contribution to support the recovery efforts in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada. He also offered to deploy linesmen to help restore electricity in the affected areas.

As of now, Hurricane Beryl has weakened to a tropical storm after making landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula as a Category 2 hurricane this morning. It is expected to enter the Gulf of Mexico by the end of the day and may strengthen again over the weekend.