PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in the Caribbean and the PwC Charitable Foundation have collectively raised over US$100,000 for donation to the disaster relief and recovery efforts in St Vincent and the Grenadines.
On April 9, the La Soufriere volcano erupted explosively, sending ash and gas plumes miles into the sky and affecting neighbouring islands. The eruption – the volcano’s first explosive event since 1979 – has displaced about 20,000 people and left the entire population of 110,000 people without clean drinking water or electricity.
The partners and staff of PwC firms operating in the Caribbean contributed a total of over US$71,000. The funds, which were raised by firms in The Bahamas, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, East Caribbean (Barbados
and St. Lucia), Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago are being donated to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency.
In addition, The PwC Charitable Foundation approved a grant of $30,000 to the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Red Cross, through the American Red Cross.
And a donation of $10,000 was made by L&F Indemnity Limited (L&F), the Bermuda-based captive insurance company for the PricewaterhouseCoopers network of firms.
Frazer Lindsay, CEO of PricewaterhouseCoopers Caribbean Region Ltd., said: “We stand in solidarity with the people of St. Vincent and everyone affected by La Soufriere’s eruption. As we have done in the past with natural disasters in our region, our people have rallied quickly to demonstrate our support for those most in need and we thank them for their tremendous efforts.”
Mike Bynoe, territory leader, PwC East Caribbean, added: “We are one Caribbean family and at this time our thoughts are with our Vincentian brothers and sisters. Although we are grateful that no lives have been lost, we recognise the magnitude of the economic, social and environmental challenges they and others are facing as the volcano continues to erupt.
The recent flooding and subsequent mudslides have also added to the country’s misery, affecting areas already heavily damaged by the volcano. Their road to recovery will be long but not without support from us and many others across the globe.” (PR)
