ROAD access in and around Lethem, Region 9 is becoming more passable as flood waters recede and relief efforts intensify to assist residents displaced when heavy rainfall inundated a large part of the region. Speaking to the Government Information Agency (GINA) via telephone, Minister of Transport and Hydraulics Robeson Benn, who has been overseeing interventions since June 5, said it is hoped that vehicular traffic will resume as per normal from today provided that good weather prevails.
Meanwhile, the destroyed sections of infrastructure near Pirara and in another location are being addressed by a team from the Works Ministry. 
Fuel was shipped to the region yesterday for maintenance of electricity and the operation of the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GT&T) company in Lethem.  Additional supplies are expected today.
Meanwhile, food distribution continues in affected areas such as Aishalton, Karasabai, Annai and satellite communities, with more supplies expected today. Shelters are in full operation and residents are receiving the necessary supplies on a daily basis.
Minister Benn anticipates that some of the residents in shelters are now in a comfortable position to depart and it is hoped that school will resume next week.
The majority of farms were submerged as a result of the flood waters and President Jagdeo, who had recently returned from overseas, instructed Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud to derive a plan to support residents for the next six months, with food supplies and plant material.
“… the situation is peculiar in those areas where people rely largely on agriculture for their living, and all the crops would have been destroyed by now in a lot of communities,” President Jagdeo said.
Minister Benn reported that there has been a resumption of cattle slaughtering for meat products to supply Lethem and outlying communities, while agriculture assessment teams are continuing their work. 
Medical outreach teams continue to provide additional support to communities while environmental officers, along with the medical team, continue to ensure residents comply with the necessary safety regulations.
Regional Executive Officer Ronald Harsawack said the Guyana Defence Force Y-12 aircraft facilitated two trips to the region yesterday, while a tractor and trucks facilitated the distribution of treated water to residents in Lethem, and will make visits to outlying communities.
Guyana’s Region 9 and much of Northern Brazil, particularly Roraima State, were most affected by the prolonged period of rainfall.
Concerns remain about the Piara and the Ireng rivers which Minister Benn reported are still swollen. These rivers are among the tributaries flowing into the Rio Branco, Brazil, and onto the Amazon. (GINA)