Families of Berbice MV Barima victims fully supported by RDC - Region Six chairman

Families of Berbice MV Barima victims fully supported by RDC – Region Six chairman

Aug 07, 2026 News

(Kaieteur News) – The Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) administration has reached out to affected families in the region following the sinking of the MV Barima on 18^th July, 2026.

This is according to Regional Chairman Junior Basant, who responded to a question posed by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) regional councilor Mehalai McAlmont at Thursday’s Statutory Meeting in the Regional Democratic Council’s (RDC) New Amsterdam boardroom.

Families of Berbice MV Barima victims fully supported by RDC - Region Six chairman

Region Six Regional Chairman, Junior Basant

Region Six lost four residents in the tragedy: 54-year-old Orin Anthony Clarke of New Amsterdam, 28-year-old Kevin Wilson of Glasgow Village, 46-year-old Devon Mars of Sandvoort Village, and 54-year-old Mark Abrams of No. 53 Village, Corentyne. A fifth resident, 56-year-old Raymond Somra of Islington Village, East Bank Berbice, remains listed as missing.

McAlmont asked what substantial support — financial or otherwise — the RDC had extended to the families of the deceased.

“The RDC, through central ministry, has engaged with these families. We covered expenses at the families’ desire. We provided substantial help,” Basant said, adding that support for Kevin Wilson’s family came directly from the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, with the RDC working alongside the ministry to assist all five families.

While declining to disclose specific amounts spent per family, citing privacy, Basant said assistance was provided without a cap.

“I do not want to disclose publicly, in the interest of privacy and common dignity, how much we’ve spent primarily on each family, but we did assist them. It is the least we could do, given the current circumstances that we were faced with,” he said. “Assistance was given to the family without ceiling. It was up to the family’s desire as to what they require, and we at the RDC, through central ministry, worked to provide those assistance as requested. We deal directly with the family.”

Basant also pointed to $25 million raised from the recently concluded Global Super League (GSL) in Guyana, which will be channelled through President Irfaan Ali’s Hope, Empathy, Aid, Resilience, Trust (H.E.A.R.T) initiative to support affected families.

“That would be used and implemented to assist not only families in Region Six, but also throughout our country,” he said, adding that he, the vice-chairman, and the REO had personally met with all five families on multiple occasions, both by phone and in person, in the lead-up to the funerals.

The chairman further noted visits to the region by Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha and Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh since the tragedy occurred.

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APNU, Berbice, MV Barima, RDC

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