Guyanese soldiers off to help rebuilding efforts in Grenada, St. Vincent

Fifty ranks of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) are heading to Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines to help with the rebuilding efforts in both countries following the devastation caused by Hurricane Beryl.

The soldiers gathered at GDF Base Camp Ayanganna on Friday where President Dr. Irfaan Ali, who is the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Guyana, engaged them.

“You’re not only going to be contributing to the rebuilding of infrastructure such as homes and offices, but you will also be contributing to the rebuilding of lives and livelihoods and the return of normalcy to a sister state,” the Guyanese Head of State told the soldiers.

President Ali highlighted that these troops will be tasked with rebuilding key government offices in particular. Once those buildings are rebuilt, key services for the citizens of both countries will be restored.

The 50 soldiers join another eight who left to provide support earlier.

Hurricane Beryl, a monstrous Category 5 storm ripped through the southeastern part of the Caribbean region earlier this month. St. Vincent’s Union Island has been nearly obliterated while Grenada’s Carriacou was particularly hard-hit.

Other countries in the region including St. Lucia, Barbados and Jamaica were hit by the hurricane. Impact assessments are still ongoing and an official death toll from this hurricane has not yet been issued.

Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier Omar Khan expressed his pride that the soldiers were committed to serving Guyana and the wider region.

And he said the work they are about to embark on aligns with President Ali’s vision for the force.

“Our Commander in Chief has directed that we are not only trained fundamentally to be soldiers but we are trained to rebuild homes, lives and communities and we are extending that service to a sister nation within our hemisphere.

“This is the pride that I speak of this afternoon,” the Chief of Defence Staff said.