Read at 3 different speeds

Volcanic eruption moves student - 3rd May 2021

A student is collecting necessary items for people on the Caribbean island of St Vincent after a volcanic eruption. About 20,000 locals were moved from their homes after the volcano, La Soufrière, erupted on 9th April.

Shelena Artman, who is 18 and from Bristol, England, is also raising funds to help. The island holds a special place in her heart because both her father and grandfather were born there. During an eruption in 1902, her grandfather was carried to safety as a baby.

The student was shocked at pictures of St Vincent, which is now coated in thick volcanic ash. She said: "It's a beautiful island and just to see it all covered in grey, it was heartbreaking and devastating." Her father said he "had never seen anything like it."

Shelena helps at the two collection centres which have been set up in the city. Items such as toiletries and face masks are being donated by the public. These donations will support the 4000 islanders now in temporary shelters, where facilities are extremely limited. Even drinking water is hard to find.

A UN official has expressed concerns that the islanders' troubles may not end for months. Water and shelter are the main priority, and then aid teams will focus on the clean-up of the ash.