Massive flood relief efforts being coordinated

– Govt announces temporary shelters for affected communities

The Government has announced that the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) is coordinating flood relief efforts and together with the Minister of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence, is assessing the need for temporary shelters in affected communities.

In a statement on Thursday morning, the government also announced that the Ministry of Social Protection has been mandated by Cabinet to ensure the safety and well-being of residents of senior citizen homes and other vulnerable citizens that fall within the purview of that Ministry.

“Cabinet met again at 08:00 hrs on Thursday morning, where a report on the assessment of the flood situation in Regions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 was given. From that report, Cabinet was able to determine that Region 4 is the most affected region with some flooding on the West Coast and the West Bank of Demerara in Region 3″, the statement added.

Regional Chairmen and Regional Executive Officers in the other assessed regions have reported that the flood situation in their regions is manageable.

The government said that with Cabinet’s approval, an aircraft was sent out this morning at 07:40 hrs on a reconnaissance mission.

Minister of State Joseph Harmon has been holding meetings with the head of the Civil Defence Commission, Colonel Chabilall Ramsarup. Minister Harmon holds responsibility for the CDC.

Early Thursday, President Granger summoned an emergency cabinet meeting and activated the CDCA to assist with the flooding situation. Additionally, the Guyana Defence Force has been called out to assist with flood relief and management efforts.

The government has indicated that the opposition, People’s Progressive Party (PPP/C) will be briefed and will be invited to participate in the flood relief efforts.

Meanwhile, the Opposition, People’s Progressive Party Civic is laying blame for the current flooding in the city at the doorsteps of the new administration. The PPP which was voted out of office two months ago after 23 years, is convinced that the governing coalition is focusing in the wrong areas.

In a statement, last evening as flood waters started to rise in Georgetown and other parts of the country, the PPP said “the manifestation of the APNU+AFC Administration’s incompetence is once again the burden of the citizenry as they are forced to grapple with flooding despite millions of dollars being expended by government to clean up the city.”

The PPP which did not call local government elections for 20 of its 23 years in office, said it is deplorable that even though citizens and businesses continue to pay millions of dollars in taxes to the Georgetown City Council, there is little or no relief as every time it rains Georgetown floods.