Restrictions on Corentyne River halt food supplies to Orealla

Apr 18, 2020 News

Villagers of Orealla, a Berbice Indigenous village about three dozen miles from Crabwood Creek, are appealing for assistance with restrictions on the Corentyne River affecting food supplies.
Yesterday, villagers took to social media, calling on authorities to act quickly.

Orealla, a village up the Corentyne River, is likely to get help from the CDC after reporting food shortages because of the border restrictions on the Corentyne River.

The matter is actively engaging the National Taskforce on COVID-19 and the Civil Defence Commission, says Sydney Allicock, Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs.
He disclosed that residents are being blocked from traversing the river and that Surinamese authorities want the Foreign Affairs or his Ministry to issue written permission for the villages to use it.
A villager, in a social media complaint, said that Councillors from Orealla, which has about 1,000 residents, are tough on the guidelines laid out by National COVID-19 Task Force.
It was pointed out that the Surinamese have also taken strict control of their border, along the Corentyne River, to stop persons from crossing illegally to and from both countries.
The restrictions would have seen the villagers also blocked from using the river, which separates Guyana and Suriname.
“Now it’s already difficult in here because the boats are not travelling and that is our only means of getting the essential items in the village and for some it’s their means of earning an income…”
In fact, the villagers of Orealla are not even allowed to fish in the Corentyne River.
According to the villager, the boats will be allowed to travel when they have permission from Surinamese authorities.
It was made clear by the Surinamese COVID-19 Task Force that for the boats to travel, they would have to get permission from them through the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after they (ministries) would have requested for permission.
The villagers said they have been trying to get in contact with the relevant authorities for permission to be granted but there has been little progress.
“With that said, we have families here that are already going through a rough time. They are anxious as to what will happen in the next few days.”
There is a countrywide restriction on the opening of businesses with a nighttime curfew in place.
The borders and airports remain closed because of the COVID-19 measures.