…says repatriation efforts for Hurricane Dorian survivors being streamlined

MINISTER of Citizenship, Winston Felix, on Tuesday, announced that government will be developing a National Policy which will outline a coordinated approach for assisting Guyanese based in Caribbean territories prone to natural disasters. The draft policy would be developed through a collaborative approach with government and non-governmental organisations.

The announcement comes even as Guyanese living in the Bahamas grapple with the damages done by Hurricane Dorian – a Category Five Storm.

The citizenship minister made the announcement on Monday moments after chairing a meeting held with aircraft owners and operations and various government entities to streamline efforts to facilitate the return of Guyanese from the hurricane ravaged-country. The minister also received feedback on the proposed draft policy.

“This meeting has guided us to a path of seeking further guidance on best practices in chartering the response that we need, which at the end of the day seeks to ensure that the interest of Guyanese is attended to in circumstances of disasters and any misfortune which may befall them outside of Guyana. At the end of this exercise, we should develop a policy to respond to the needs of Guyanese outside of Guyana,” he told the Public Information and Press Service (PIPS) Unit of the Ministry of the Presidency.

The stakeholders’ meeting was held based on a Cabinet directive handed down last week. Monday was the second time the group of stakeholders met since the directive was issued.
Minister Felix said the 2017 response to Hurricane Irma which affected the islands of Antigua and Barbuda; Turks and Caicos and St. Maarten, has created a “template by which future disasters of whatever magnitude can be responded to, with particular steps to be taken along the way.”

Minister of State, Dawn Hastings-Williams; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Karen Cummings; Captain Gerry Gouveia of Roraima Air Services; Brian Tiwari of JAGS Aviation and representatives from Trans Guyana Airways, A. Mazaharally and Sons Limited, Air Services Limited, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Civil Defence Commission and the Ministry of Citizenship, were among those present at the meeting.

In relation to the situation in The Bahamas, Minister Felix said that there is an option available to address the repatriation of the 23 Guyanese, who have expressed their desire to return to Guyana. He pointed out that this number can change as there is another 108 persons, who have yet to indicate what their desire is.

“So, work goes on and the Guyanese public will be kept informed as decisions are taken,” the Minster said. He said too that the meeting discussed approaching Caribbean Airlines for humanitarian assistance to bring home the affected Guyanese in The Bahamas.

“This was done because it was observed that the range of aircrafts in Guyana would not take them to The Bahamas without them having to stop for refuelling on a couple of occasions. Then, there is another option, where government can be invited to subsidise the cost of the aircraft bringing returning Guyanese… and the third is the employment of the [GDF] skyvan to assist in the return of Guyanese from The Bahamas,” Minister Felix explained.

It was suggested that government deploy a point person possible from CDC to The Bahamas to work along with the Guyana Honorary Consul, to assess the needs of Guyanese prior to the decision to repatriate them.