— food supplies for flood-hit Kwakwani in coming days, says CDC

AS the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) responds to the flooding at Kwakwani, efforts will be made in the coming days to provide food supplies to affected persons while the agency continues to assess the situation on the ground.

CDC Head, Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig in an update on the situation told Guyana Chronicle on Saturday evening that reports from the region suggest that the water receded a little on Saturday.
He said as part of the response efforts, as early as Monday, water purification tablets will be distributed to affected persons even as efforts are being made to ensure the health authorities response to the situation is boosted.

Craig said he has advised the Ministry of Public Health to increase medical supplies in the area.
“There is no need for evacuation at the moment,” he said as he noted that the occurrence is seasonal with the rising of the tide in the nearby waterway as well as rainfall has contributed to the flooding.

As part of its Regional Disaster Risk Management Strategy, the CDC on Friday conducted an initial assessment of the flooded areas in Kwakwani and reported that it will be mobilising aid for the riverine community.

Led by Lt. Col. Kester Craig, the team included representatives from the Ministry of Health, the Hydrometeorological Service, and CDC volunteers. Craig explained that the multiagency approach is one that is designed to ascertain the overall needs of the affected residents.

He said the flooding is a regular occurrence which has resulted in the residents adapting to their environment. The residents have built secondary houses on high stilts which are just above the water height; primary houses are submerged.

However, he said, this does not take away from the fact that the affected residents will have needs that must be catered for such as health and food.

So far, approximately 300 households have been affected. These are located at Waterfront, Lamp Island, Aroima and Ginger Island. The CDC will deploy resources as soon as the official community report is completed.