$250,000 Grant to Support Communities Hit by Sargassum

Sargassum continues to choke Belize’s coastline. Once-pristine beaches are now stretches of rotting brown seaweed. The situation has become a national emergency, with communities and businesses that depend on tourism being among the hardest hit.

The Belize Fund for a Sustainable Future has announced a $250,000 grant to provide urgent relief. The Fund is working in partnership with the Belize Tourism Industry Association and the Belize Hotel Association to ensure the money reaches those most affected along the coast.

Dr Leandra Cho-Ricketts, Executive Director of the Belize Fund, said the initiative represents a stronger effort to confront the crisis directly. “This is really a national challenge, a national emergency that needed to be addressed, and the entire board agreed that it is important,” she said.

The Fund recently finalised its emergency grants window, which enabled the rapid support. “The discussion and decision was that the fund will look at engaging with the Blue Economy, with the Ministry of Tourism also, to see how they can help support and provide some relief to this issue,” Dr Cho-Ricketts said.

She added, “For as long as we are facing these challenges globally, the fund beyond the support will be looking at mechanisms to continue to provide some support.”