Flood-affected Mazaruni residents get much-needed help
Over 600 relief hampers were distributed to residents affected by floods in the Upper, Lower Mazaruni regions
Over 600 relief hampers were distributed to residents affected by floods in the Upper, Lower Mazaruni regions

STILL grappling with the effects of persistent rains and high water levels, several communities in Upper and Lower Mazaruni, Region Seven, remain inundated with more than 200 farms destroyed.

This is according to Regional Chairman Kenneth Williams, speaking to the Guyana Chronicle on Monday.

“[My] biggest concern is that villages in both the Upper Mazaruni and Lower Mazaruni continue to report of the economic devastation to their livelihoods and that the floodwaters in most communities have not receded significantly. Also, that some areas have experienced higher levels than yesterday [Sunday].”

Nevertheless, Williams noted that the regional authorities in collaboration with the Civil Defence Commission have been able to provide some relief to residents who are severely affected by the floods.

Williams reported that over 600 hampers were distributed to residents across the region on Monday and the CDC is expected to do more distributions within the coming days.
Residents received foodstuff, cleaning agents and other necessities, including mosquito nets.

In a countrywide update, the CDC stated that Regions 10, Nine, Eight, Seven, and Six have been mostly impacted by the floods.

Since May 18, 2021, the CDC has received reports of more than 26,000 households affected by the flooding in more than 300 communities across all 10 administrative regions.

Additionally, the CDC related that cloudy to overcast skies are likely throughout Guyana during the period of June 7 – 10, 2021 and coastal locations may experience showers of varying intensities, frequent rain, and possible isolated thundershowers.

Precipitation is also expected mostly during the early to late morning hours, and is forecast to range between 25 mm and 60 mm. The rest of the country may experience scattered light to moderate showers during the morning hours, with conditions deteriorating during the afternoon and evening hours, giving way to showers of varying intensities, frequent to continuous rain and thundershowers. Rainfall is forecast to range between 40 mm and 100 mm.

During a recent community outreach in the region on Sunday, Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai reassured residents that the government sympathises with the hundreds of miners and farmers affected by the floods in Upper Mazaruni and is committed to providing aid. The minister told persons at Imbaimadai and Omanaik that the government will ensure that their needs are met.

“We will document it, and it will go forward for consideration by the government with respect to this particular group because it is a mining area. We are looking also at farming areas and mining [which are] affected. So, I’m sure that the government will have to consider [that] in the entire approach to addressing the aftermath.

We will also have to take into consideration other sectors that are affected, because it is not only [the] agriculture sector that has been affected in many parts of the country,” the minister had said.

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