UPDATE FROM GRENADA ISSUED BY: CDERA DATE: 9 SEPTEMBER 2004 SITUATION UPDATE Two radio stations have come to the rescue of Grenada to fill the void left by the absence of the Grenadian broadcast media. The Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation, headquartered in Barbados, has expanded its 900 AM service to broadcasting to Grenada, at the direction of the Cabinet of Barbados. It is boosting the power of its transmitter to effectively cover the entire island. CDERA will be feeding all official information through CBC 900 AM to residents of Grenada and its dependencies. CBC has also established a toll free number for Grenadians to telephone the station and broadcast messages to their relatives and friends. The number is 1-800-744-8222. In Tobago, Radio Tambrin will also be broadcasting official information to Grenada and its dependencies on the FM frequency on 92.1 FM. The Department of Disaster Management in the British Virigin Islands is providing a team of technical and support personnel and equipment to establish an FM radio station. Work starts tomorrow. Some Cable and Wireless and Digicel cell phone service is available and some landlines are operational. Digicel Barbados Limited is on the ground doing an assessment of damage to cell phone towers and devising a method to re-establish communication across the island in the shortest possible time. A high level mission comprising the Secretary General of CARICOM, the Director General of the OECS, the President of the Caribbean Development Bank and the Coordinator of CDERA will visit Grenada tomorrow. Assessments are being done in the areas of housing, shelter, health, communication and infrastructure by an expert Rapid Needs Assessment Team (RNAT) which will inform reconstruction effects scheduled to get underway by teams from the Caribbean Disaster Response Unit (CDRU) which will be in the Spice Isle by Tuesday September 14, 2004. CDRU is also working with the International Federation of the Red Cross to establish a pipeline for distribution of relief supplies to the population. CDERA is mobilizing medium term support for the Emergency Operating Centre. Experienced disaster managers are being flown in from other CDERA member states. They should be in place by Sunday September 12, 2004. INITIAL ASSESSMENT NEEDS There is a dire need for internal communication so that news can be broadcast to the people of Grenada. Efforts are being made through the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation of Barbados and Radio Tambrin in Tobago while an FM broadcast station is being constructed. There is also a dire need to re-establish telephone links with the outside world. There remains no power, no water. Airport tower has been damaged. Seaport has been damaged There is need to get Customs and Immigration functional at both ports of entry SUPPLIES REQUIRED URGENTLY Water Food Tents Tarpaulins Roof material Batteries (all sizes) Building supplies (all types) Construction tools Emergency housing HOW TO HELP All coast guard vessels in CDERA member states (see list below) are being mobilized to ship supplies to Grenada. Residents, companies or other interest parties in the Caribbean who wish to donate materials or cash should contact the local national disaster office and coordinate the response through them. A contact list is available at the end of this SITREP. People in non-CDERA member states should contact the local Red Cross for information on how to contribute to the relief effort. A list of supplies will be published on the CDERA website at www.cdera.org and pledges can be made online as of Friday September 10, 2004. Cash donations are also being accepted. CDERA has opened the Hurricane Ivan Assistance Fund account at all FirstCaribbean International Banks across the region. The accounts available so far are listed below. More will be added tomorrow. Antigua: 106370878 Bahamas, The: 200153039 BVI: 2345133338 Barbados: C/A# 1000398510 Cayman Islands: KYD #10031590 Dominica: 106371157 Saint Lucia: 106371256 St Vincent and the Grenadines: 106371165 For residents in the United States, please coordinate all donations through the Grenada Embassy: 1701 New Hampshire Ave., NW, Washington DC 20009 Tel: (202) 265-2561 Fax: (202) 265-2468 Information for residents of Canada will be provided in a subsequent SITREP. PROCEDURE FOR SHIPPING TO GRENADA The CDRU has secured the airport and harbour. It is providing relief supplies and logistical management. The Point Salines International Airport in Grenada is closed to all but relief supply flights and essential personnel flights. IT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED THAT ANY AGENCY SHIPPING RELIEF SUPPLIES INTO GRENADA NOTIFY THE CDERA COORDINATING UNIT IN BARBADOS 48 HOURS BEFORE INTENDED SHIPMENT SO THAT ARRANGEMENTS CAN BE MADE TO RECEIVE THEM. The notification must state the agency from which the supplies are coming, a copy of the cargo manifest, the method of transport i.e. ship or aircraft, and the time of arrival. In the case of ship, the name of the vessel and the call signs, in the case of aircraft the tail number and frequency on which the flight is operating. As there is no Air Traffic Control instructions will be provided in advance on how to approach. Notification should be sent to grenadarelief@cdera.org. NO REFRIGERATED SUPPLIES MUST BE SENT DEATH TOLL The death toll has risen to 8. CDERA has requested from the Grenada authorities the names of the dead so that it can satisfy the hundreds of requests by concerned relatives abroad. ACTIONS IN SUPPORT OF GRENDA: Deputy Coordinator of CDERA Audrey Mullings is supporting EOC operations in St Georges and other CDERA member states are providing experienced disaster managers to man the centre The Regional Security System has deployed security personnel to assist the Commissioner of Police maintain law and order; The CDRU is providing relief and logistical management; The Emergency Assistance Funds operated by CDERA, CDB, FirstCaribbean International Bank have been activated. CDERA opening an appeals account at FirstCaribbean International at their 80 branches in 20 countries in the Caribbean to support deployment of the response teams. Efforts are underway by CDERA, International Federation of the Red Cross, Canadian International Development Agency, USAID/Office for Foreign Disaster Assistance, UNDP, UNICEF, FAO, OXFAM, RSS, Caribbean Development Bank, FirstCaribbean International Bank, HMS Richmond, DFID, OAS, European Commission, and IDB.