Multi-agency meeting convened to address situation fleeing Venezuelans

Jul 17, 2018 News

The multi-agency team meeting, chaired by Minister Winston Felix (backing camera) yesterday.

Minister of Citizenship, Winston Felix, yesterday convened a multi-agency meeting at the Department of Citizenship, aimed at coordinating a response to the migration of Venezuelans into Guyana primarily through Barima-Waini (Region One) and Cuyuni-Mazaruni (Region Seven).
The multi-agency committee includes the Guyana Police Force, the Ministries of Communities, Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Social Protection, Public Health and Citizenship and the Civil Defence Commission (CDC).
In an invited comment at the conclusion of the meeting, Minister Felix said that the Ministry of Citizenship will the Venezuelans who arrive and to the best of its abilities and resources, make every effort to provide assistance.
“This meeting is the coordinated effort to give structure to the Government’s response to the arrival of Venezuelans in Guyana.
This was an inter-agency meeting and we all discussed our various roles and how those roles will complement the other.
I can say for sure that during the course of this week, we will be reinforcing the Immigration Department in Region One to deal with the arrival of Venezuelans into Guyana,” he said.
Minister Felix said that while the Ministries are still trying to finalise the number of Venezuelans, there are approximately 150 at White Water Village, Region One for which the CDC has flown in supplies.
“There is a health post in White Water where the Ministry of Public Health has personnel dealing with vaccinations as they come into the country and so on and the CDC has sent in supplies including cots, pillows, tarpaulins, blankets and food supplies,” the Minister noted.
Venezuela, a Spanish-speaking country that neighbours with Guyana, is facing severe economic woes, with runaway inflation, food shortages and long lines. There are also shortage of basic supplies and medicines.
Thousands of Venezuelans have been fleeing, with a large number of Guyanese returning home.
Guyanese officials are working with the embassy in Venezuela to coordinate their returns.
With regards to Venezuelans fleeing, it is a problem that Guyana is grappling with.

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