By S. Acosta
Prime Minister Dean Barrow to visit the Belize River Valley
Prime Minister, Dean Barrow will be heading a team this afternoon on an aerial flight over flooded areas in the Belize River Valley area and the Orange Walk District. He will be accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Gaspar Vega; Minister with responsibility for National Emergency Management, Hon. Melvin Hulse; Minister of State, Hon. Edmund Castro; Chief Executive Officer, George Lovell and a member from the Government Press Office. This will give Prime Minister Barrow and the other top government and NEMO officials, a better knowledge of the flooding and damages in the areas hardest hit areas.
The various District Emergency Committees together with volunteers and representatives from other agencies are working tirelessly assessing damages and assisting flood victims where possible.
CAYO:
Search and Rescue teams are again deployed to Arenal and Calla Creek, in addition to medical teams that are working in Calla Creek, Georgeville, Santa Familia, Blackman Eddy and Ontario Villages. Food supplies and ware are also being distributed to the flood victims.
COROZAL:
Members of the District Emergency Committee are today assessing damages in the flooded areas in Corozal Town. The areas that are experiencing flooding are Chula Vista, White Cocal and Port-Sal. This past weekend Committee members assessed flood damages in several villages.
ORANGE WALK:
Like the other District Emergency Committees, the Orange Walk Group is commended for its efforts, hard work and dedication in evacuating and properly managing shelters in that area. NEMO thanks the many individuals who are also assisting by contributing of their time and resources (vehicles and water vessels) to transport and evacuate people from the flooded areas.
BELIZE RURAL:
Damage Assessment and the distribution of food supplies continues in several villages in the Belize River Valley Area, specifically Lemonal and Rancho Dolores. The transfer of livestock from May Pen, Grace Bank and Davis Bank also continues. Pine Ridge areas have been identified in Sand Hill and Biscayne where the livestock are being transferred. In Belize City meanwhile, the District Emergency Committee is at this time assisting in transferring people (students and workers) from the flooded areas within the City to the main road. According to the District Coordinator, this effort will continue for the remainder of this week.
To date there are more than 3 hundred persons in shelters and the flooding has affected 84 villages and 16 thousand people one way or the other. 13 thousand acres of farmlands are also affected by flood waters.