• Dear Friends and Families of St. Lucia:

Today, we are all saddened by the natural disaster that we experienced on Christmas Eve.

We urge you to remain safe and to ensure that you are informed of the developments within your various communities.

We should continue to train and educate our young men and women to respond safely, and swiftly during and after disasters – man-made and natural. We need to educate all our citizens in order to respond intelligently and effectively to save lives and property. We are aware that climate change is affecting our countries and the adverse effects are equally challenging from a social and economic standpoint.

Today, as we stand through this unexpected tragedy, may we remember that our country and St. Lucian families need our help from the damages that has been done to her.

We pray for guidance and speedy recovery. May God bless – St. Lucia, Dominica, St Vincent as well as Turks & Caicos, and continue to keep, Caricom and the rest of the world – safe.