A new huge explosion of La Soufriere volcano occurred on 12 April at 8.15 UTC. Deadly pyroclastic flows descending through the flanks of the volcano have been reported, however it is still unknown how far and where exactly the flows may moved.
An estimated number of approximately 110, 589 people in Saint Vincent are affected, as well as an unquantified number of people in neighbouring islands.
According to the national authorities, the evacuation process is still underway and the alert level of the volcano stands at red. So far, approximately 18% of the population has been evacuated, including 3,200 persons in public shelters.
Extensive damage to assets and livelihoods (fisheries, agriculture) has also been reported compounding the ongoing adverse socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On 12 April, the Embassy of St. Vincent and the Grenadines in Brussels requested assistance through the Emergency Response and Coordination Centre (ERCC) consisting of financial and in-kind assistance for the affected population. The Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) has been activated.