THE Civil Defence Commission (CDC) and Minister of Citizenship Winston Felix have distributed hampers valued $9M to 851 West Coast Berbice, Mahaica-Berbice households, which were affected by flooding early last month.The parcels included staples such as rice, sugar, flour and milk, along with a selection of canned meats, biscuits, personal-care items and cleaning agents.
A team comprising CDC Chairman Colonel (ret’d) Chabilall Ramsarup, Felix, other senior members of the CDC and members of the regional administration embarked on an extensive distribution exercise, serving 10 communities across the region.
“We have 28 items in the hamper and I trust that it will be of some value to you,” Mr. Ramsarup said to the large group of persons, who had assembled at the Community Development Centre, Union (Number 30) Village, where a total of 377 hampers were distributed.
According to a release from the Ministry of the Presidency, Mr Ramsarup said officers from the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) did house-to-house checks to identify those persons affected by the flood and a list of names was compiled and submitted to the Regional Democratic Council, which liaised with the CDC to mobilise assistance for the communities.
Meanwhile, Minister Felix said President David Granger and the government have remained concerned about the suffering and loss residents experienced due to the floods and endeavoured to provide relief and support.
Moraikobai, Mahaicony River residents were among the first group to benefit from hampers, he said, noting that this exercise is just another demonstration of government’s efforts to support the people in difficult times.
“Every misfortune that affects the people of our country affects our President. He is [concerned about] your feelings and your needs and he is struck [by] the discomfort that you’ve been through, during the flood,” Minister Felix was quoted as saying in the release.
Region Five Chairman, Mr. Vickchand Ramphal, also expressed appreciation for the donation. He noted that the government has “come on board in bringing relief … to communities in Region Five.”