[www.inewsguyana.com] – Minister of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence along with a team from her Ministry continues to reach out to persons affected by the recent rainfall.
A few communities were severely affected resulting in the need for persons to be relocated to temporary shelters. The Ministry of Social Protection is collaborating with the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) on this response as mandated by President David Granger and the Cabinet.
Minister Lawrence visited various affected areas on Friday, July 17 and her first stop was at the Dharm-Shala located in Albouystown, Georgetown where she met residents and the Administrators of the home.
“The ministry spoke to them and they indicated that they don’t really need any help at this time in evacuating people, in fact they have a lot of space there. I spoke with the administrator and went to see what else we can give, so very soon CDC should bring some long boots and other stuff for them,” Minister Lawrence reported.
Some communities in Georgetown are still inundated with water but according to the Minister, Albouystown will take longer to drain since the pumps to drain that community are not functioning efficiently.
A visit was also made to the Selman Fraser Nursery School which is being used as a shelter for affected persons in the Albouystown area.
“They are housing children and their parents who have been severely affected. That started since yesterday morning…CDC kicked in last evening and they brought meals and cots and water,” the Social Protection Minister said, adding that, “This will continue until normalcy is restored to the communities.”
The Albouystown Nursery School is also being used as a shelter for persons affected; it is open in the evenings only to accommodate persons while the Selman Fraser Nursery is open ‘around the clock’.
Meanwhile, similar arrangements have been put in place in most of the hard-hit communities in Regions Three and Five. The Ministry has engaged the churches, the mosques and the temples seeking their assistance should the need arise.
“They all gave positive responses that if the communities require them having to take-in or remove persons to shelters that they will be willing to step in and provide assistance,” Lawrence reported.
Minister Lawrence is urging persons in flood affected communities who have senior citizens who need to be relocated to make contact with her Ministry.
The Minister also visited Plastic City and the community of Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara to assess the situation. At Plastic City, it was evident that residents are not affected; however at Middle Dam, Pouderoyen, residents have been inundated for almost one month now since the area has a defective koker. Conditions there were compounded with the recent rainfall. [Extracted and modified from GINA]
