— CDC mobilising resources to cater for residents evacuated to shelters

AS the local authorities mobilise resources to provide relief to flood-affected residents in all 10 administrative regions, Mid Atlantic Oil & Gas Inc has donated $10 million to aid the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) to provide some redress to those adversely affected by the heavy rainfall.

Heavy rains on Sunday exacerbated the worse-than-normal circumstances being faced by residents over the past week, due to the May-June rainy season.

As the CDC continued to distribute food and cleaning supplies to affected communities on Sunday, Corporate Secretary of Mid Atlantic Oil and Gas Inc, Glenn Low-A-Chee, handed over the $10 million cheque to CDC Director-General, Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig at the Commission’s Headquarters.

While there, the Director-General highlighted that there are a number of needs, including those for food and cleaning supplies, that the CDC is addressing. And, the donation from the oil and gas company could help in meeting those needs.

On Sunday, the Director-General reported that all 10 administrative regions have been affected by heavy rains but that Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) were the worst affected.

On Saturday, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, visited both of these regions and promised immediate support to the affected regions.

“What we are focussing now is on livelihood and ensuring that you have food, ensuring that people are safe. If there is a need for shelter, we will work on supplying those shelters and ensuring that health needs are satisfied,” the President emphasised.

On Saturday night, volunteers and staff of the CDC, alongside Reserve Officers of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), were at the National Gymnasium in Georgetown packing food and cleaning supplies for the affected residents whom the President engaged. These hampers were to be distributed by the regional authorities, once dispatched

On Sunday, while addressing the situation in Kwakwani, Region 10, the CDC Director-General said that an assessment of the situation has revealed that emergency shelters are needed to cater for about 75 flood-affected residents.

He explained that while providing shelter, the CDC also has the responsibility of providing food and sanitisation supplies to those displaced from their homes. He also related that transportation is needed to distribute these supplies.

Meanwhile, the CDC, via a notice on its Facebook page, indicated that flood-affected residents can contact the commission on 226-1027 or 600-7500 (WhatsApp), or messages can be sent to the commission’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts.

According to the weather forecast from the National Weather Watch Centre, coastal regions will likely experience cloudy to overcast skies with scattered showers of varying intensities and frequent rain until Thursday.

Thundershowers are also likely to be experienced over these areas. Rainfall is expected to range between one inch and three inches within a 24-hour period. Southern Guyana and Inland areas will likely experience similar conditions from the afternoon into the evening hours with rainfall likely to range between one inch to four inches within a 24-hour period.