Reprinted from Caribbean Net News
caribbeannetnews.com
GEORGETOWN, Guyana: President of Guyana, Bharrat Jagdeo, has told residents living on the East Coast Demerara, they may break-off locks and occupy school buildings and to take food on credit from their community shopkeepers until the flood recedes and the government will foot the bill. Government on Tuesday declared Regions Three, Four and Five disaster areas and plans to appeal to international aid agencies for assistance for flood victims.
Caribbean Net News contacted the Office of the President in Georgetown which confirmed Jagdeo's statement and went on to inform that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is formulating the approach to the international aid agencies for assistance.
The Government has committed GY$20M to the relief effort and said it will provide 19,000 meals for lunch and dinner to residents. However, there are no real figures on the number of persons directly affected by the floods, since figures run from between 50,000 to 100,000.
Relief efforts were described as haphazard yesterday and many residents said they got nothing or didn't know where to go.
Meanwhile, during a visit to Buxton, Lusignan, Annandale, Melanie, Non Pareil, Mon Repos, Strathspey, Better Hope, Friendship and Good Hope where he declared the flood a 'National Disaster, President Jagdeo told residents to credit goods from shop owners in the communities and government will foot the bill. However, this was only to be done by one group in every village which will keep an accurate account of what was taken on credit and to ensure that things are not done willy nilly by single individuals.
The President pointed out that many people are in need of emergency relief, which cannot reach all communities at the moment due to the very high water level therefore, the only alternative at this time is to depend on shop owners in the community.
"Now is the time to put faith in God and those shop owners in your area. We are willing to bring relief, but the water would not permit us, that is why I am urging you to come together and do this as a community. The situation that we are faced with is an unusual one; this has never happened before in about 100 years", he said, while calling on all to co-operate among themselves and ensure that everyone affected is given relief and not just some sections of the community.
In speaking with meteorologists in Guyana, Caribbean Net News learnt that the usual rainfall in January is measured at about 7 inches. However, the country has had an amazing 28 inches of heavy rainfall within just a few days and there was yet another heavy downpour on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, in Buxton, a village some fifteen miles from Georgetown, a number of upset residents told the President that relief was supplied on the East Coast, however, they were forgotten. Many of them said water had swamped all their belongings, beds, furniture and appliances and there is no help from any agency in the area.
"No Ministry of Health, no engineers, no city council, nobody just we, the water and snakes. Buxton is part of the East Coast too, and we are affected, so where is the relief", asked Vibert Muffet, a pastor in the village. Muffet told the President that he woke up to find a snake in his kitchen where water is at his waist. The man spoke of concerns for health and safety prompting the President to say that officials from the relevant ministries will be alerted to the situation.
A number of residents in several of the East Coast villages asked the President about the much talked about overseas relief for them, arguing that, Guyana was among the first countries to help Grenada after Hurricane Ivan and was also among the list of countries that aided in the Tsunami relief. "Now who is rushing to help us, Mr. President," one villager asked.
President Jagdeo replied by saying that he had received a call from the President of Suriname who has pledged his support. However, Jagdeo explained to the people that Trinidad and a few other Caribbean countries recently experienced disasters of their own.
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