Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how, and through which channels, they have coordinated the international response to the volcanic eruptions in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The UK has pledged an initial £200,000 to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), which is directly supporting the National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) of St Vincent and the Grenadines, to help address the humanitarian impact of the eruptions. Urgently needed technical experts will also support relief efforts on the ground, support emergency telecommunications, and restore critical lifeline facilities, such as water, health, agriculture and electricity.

The UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) have allocated $1m in response to the eruptions in St Vincent and the Grenadines. The UK is a longstanding supporter of the CERF. In 2020, the UK was one of the largest donors to the Fund, providing £66m ($88.6m) to support responses to humanitarian need across the globe.

The UK is also a contributor to the International Federation of the Red Cross Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) which has allocated funding of some £209,000 to the St Vincent and the Grenadines Red Cross response.

We will continue to work with CDEMA, the UN Agencies, and Red Cross Societies to provide further support if required.