Two children drown in Suriname floods
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| Published on Friday, June 6, 2008 |
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By Ivan Cairo
Caribbean Net News Suriname Correspondent
Email: ivan@caribbeannetnews.com
PARAMARIBO, Suriname: Two young children have died in flooding in Suriname, officials here confirmed. According to minister of Regional Development, Michel Felisi, the children drowned during two separate boat incidents in the Lawa-Tapanahony area, close to the border with French Guiana.
The mishaps reportedly occurred when several affected families were trying to flee the rising waters in their villages and the dug-out canoes they were travelling in overturned at some rapids. In one accident three small children from one family went missing but two were later found unharmed, while the third drowned. In the other accident close to the village Benanu an infant drowned.
During a press conference, Felisi disclosed that the situation in eastern-Suriname is worse than in May 2006, when flooding forced over 15,000 people to seek higher ground, while several hundreds were relocated.
“The water levels in some areas are at least one feet over the highest levels we measured in May 2006,” said Felisi.
After touring the devastated area on Wednesday afternoon, together with Vice-Speaker of the House, Caprino Alendy, the minister stressed that the government will immediately launch an aid operation in the area.
Meanwhile villagers are urging the government to speed up the aid operation since, according to weather forecasts, more rain is expected.
The Member of Parliament appealed to the government to send in emergency agencies, food, tents and other supplies to the victims.
“I am also calling on my fellow countrymen to contribute whatever they have to help those who currently are in need,” she pleaded during a radio talk show.
In the meantime. the National Coordination Center for Disaster Management (NCCR) sent 200 tarpaulins to the area, which according to relief workers is hardly enough.
Days of heavy rainfall the past week has caused several rivers and creeks in the Suriname interior to burst their banks and eventually flood several villages. In May 2006 over 160 villages were hit by similar floods.
The NCCR said it is monitoring the situation closely in order to step up actions if the situation might deteriorate. | | | | Reads : 159 |
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