Georgetown, GINA, June 22, 2011
Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr. Roger Luncheon during a post-Cabinet media briefing today, emphasized that while the seasonal flooding has abated in some areas, the spate has been rearing its head in other areas.
He said that while the most affected remain Regions Six, Eight, Nine and Ten which came under review by Cabinet, immediate disaster response continues for the third consecutive week, as flood water recedes.
“In the hard hit Region Nine, reports were made about the actual condition in Central Lethem and the villages in the South Central, North and the Pakaraima villages in Region Eight. As such, immediate disaster response supported by Central Government, the Regional Administration and the many charitable organisations continue,” he said.
While noting that food supplies stockpiled in the North and Central Lethem continue to be air-freighted to villages due to the many impassable areas, he said that the opening up of self-same roads would pave the way for additional supplies to be taken in to the villages.
Extension services from the Ministries of Agriculture and Health have been ramped-up in affected areas. Staffers from the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), and the National Agricultural Research Institute and Extension Institute (NAREI) have been supporting villagers by harvesting threatened crops and preperations for sowing for next crop.
Today as well, Agriculture Minister, Robert Persaud and Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai held a stakeholders recovery workshop at Lethem where discussions were held on possibilities for recovery aid.
Assistance were also given to the 60 communities present in the form of spray cans, chemicals to spray acoushi ants, storage containers, cassava mills, seeds and cassava sticks.