Supplies reaching stricken villages

Jun 10, 2011 News

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Water levels continued to drop yesterday in flood-stricken Region Nine with vehicles starting to use some of the impassable trails and critical supplies of fuel flown in. According to Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, Nigel Dharamlall, the water levels have dropped significantly but remained high in the Pirara area, located some 22 miles from Lethem.
“We have a good stock of food being sent to residents especially in the Gunns Strip and Sand Creek areas.”
The water, he said, has dropped an accumulative 100 inches.
Yesterday, a plane from local charter company, Air Services Ltd, left Ogle Airport with five 45-gallons drums of fuel for the Remote Area Medical Services, an organization active in the Lethem area, with an aircraft of their own.
Officials at the emergency command centre in Lethem said that over 45,000 gallons of drinking water has been distributed, with three planes of food and medical supplies taking critical supplies to Sand Creek and Karasabai.
According to Transport Minister, Robeson Benn, who has been there since Sunday, the water in Lethem has dropped considerably, with pickups traversing.
Sixty drums of fuel stuck at the Pirara flooded area are now in Lethem and the power station has supplies for last for another three to four weeks, the Minister said.
“We have supplies going to strategic satellite areas and then redistributed to the villages using boats and other means.”
Low stocks
In some areas like Kurupukari, residents were reporting that stocks in the homes and shops were running low.
Several vehicles and boats are taking passengers over bridges and roads that are covered with flood waters.
With the nearby Bom Fin border town in Brazil also flooded, Region Nine is depending heavily on aid from the city and crops that they could recover.
While water levels have shown a drop, levels remained high in the Pirara area, along the Lethem trail, with a bridge there still under three feet of water, effectively closing the trail to Linden.
About 1,700 acres of farmland have been affected and trucks reportedly stuck making progress to the Pirara area where other smaller vehicles are shuttling their load to Lethem.
On Wednesday, a cassava mill was sent to Aishalton where residents were battling to save cassava and corn from around 100 farms. That village, which buys supplies from mainly Lethem, will now have to depend on flights to the areas.
Food supplies have been taken to several other villages with boats, where vehicles are impossible to manoeuvre.
Recovery plans
Already, for the affected farmers, the Ministry of Agriculture yesterday announced that a recovery plan is in place for Lethem and the surrounding, affected communities.
Last night, a number of consignments were expected to leave.
These efforts, the Minister said, will be extended to other areas that are affected by flooding including Kwakwani, Upper Berbice.
The consignments of chemicals, planting materials and veterinary supplies have left Georgetown for Lethem, Annai, Aishalton and other affected areas.
“This is just the first wave in terms of recovery. We will also be sending in additional staff, we have staff posted at critical sub areas, central points that cover a number of areas. And starting tonight we will be deputing a very senior staff to be based within Region Nine to coordinate the recovery effort now that we are about to finalise what are the interventions we will be doing once the flood waters recede. So, we don’t want there to be any lag time within the flood waters receding. and us procuring and mobilising supplies, and we are looking from our existing programs and existing activities to have these supplies ready,” Minister Persaud said.
Meanwhile, the Minister expressed his appreciation for an initiative that is being undertaken by the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) that will see the bank providing financing for affected farmers.
“I have just received a memo from the Chief Executive Officer and where it is the bank would be providing financing to those affected by the flood, particularly farmers, at an interest rate of just about six percent, which we know is far less than the regular interest rate.” Persons have a maximum repayment period of 36 months and equity in terms of collateral would not be required. The bank has said that it has different levels in terms of what would be these as it calls small unsecured loans up to what levels it would be making those available,” the Agriculture Minister said.
The Bank will be granting small unsecured loans up to $350,000 to individuals who may need such assistance during this period. The loans can be accessed for purposes including agriculture, repairs to property, repurchase of stock, including livestock, and the replacement of consumer items such as furniture.
Mobilisation
The relief efforts have seen a massive mobilisation from government agencies, the private sector and volunteer groups.
Already, the Private Sector Commission has established accounts at GBTI and Republic Bank.
According to Roubinder Rambarran, PSC’s Executive Director, the Chamber of Commerce in Berbice has planned two telethons with several other sectoral and corporate members planning activities over the coming days.
The Red Cross, Civil Defence Commission, Food for the Poor and several government Ministries including Agriculture, Public Works, Local Government, Health and Amerindian Affairs, are also involved with the army on call.
A number of homes have been abandoned and schools converted to shelters.
On Tuesday, President Bharrat Jagdeo announced the release of $50M for emergency relief efforts to be spent on roads, bridges and emergency supplies.
Water purifiers, medical supplies and containers were also being distributed to residents, many of whose homes were covered by flood water not seen for awhile.

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