…as assessment team wings out to Antigua

By Alexis Rodney

ALL GUYANESE students studying in Cuba have been accounted for, Prime Minister and Chairman of the Ministerial Task Force on the Caribbean Disaster, Moses Nagamootoo has confirmed, even as the Needs Assessment team which will leave Guyana today for Antigua has some 48 hours to gather the necessary information before work can commence from this end.
A six member team will depart Guyana today, making its first stop in Antigua to carry out a needs assessment for the many Guyanese who suffered at the hands of Hurricane Irma which ravaged several Caribbean Countries.
The team, headed by Minister of Citizenship, Winston Felix, will include representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Civil Defence Commission (CDC). On Friday, Prime Minister Nagamootoo who is also Chairman of the Task Force; Head of the CDC (ret’d) Col. Chabilall Ramsarup and (ret’d) Maj. General Joseph Singh of the National Task Force Commission, met with other interested parties at the CDC headquarters, Thomas Lands, for a final meeting before takeoff.
According to Maj. Gen. (Ret’d) Singh, the Guyanese delegation upon arriving in Antgua, will meet with officials there before heading to the British Virgin Island (BVI) and St Maarten to have discussions with officials and Guyanese on the ground. He said what is of utmost importance at this time, is for officials here to understand the true nature of the situation of Guyanese in the affected countries, particularly those who have indicated their desire to return home.

Also, that the information is critical since the officials in Guyana would need to identify the relatives of those individuals here, so as to create any problems when those who have been repatriared get to Guyana. The Ministry of Social Protection will also be working along to provide shelters, if the need arises, he added.
According to Singh, there is also an urgent need for food and medical supplies and these will follow the team on Sunday. Meanwhile, businessman, Komal Singh, has committed to allow a flight of 29,000 kilo to be transported to Antigua on Sunday morning. Once there, systems will be put in place to get the goods to the other locations.
According to Colonel Ramsarup, officials in the BVI have requested medical assistance there as well. Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr. Shamdeo Persaud has said that while the Ministry of Health is still sorting out that request, it will seek to have as much supplies as possible to be taken on the first trip on Sunday. The Ministry also has on hand 12 medical personnel who will also travel to the BVI to render assistance.
Regarding Guyanese who may want to return home, the CMO said health officials will be set up at the two airports to conduct medicals on those arriving. According to the CDC, there are some 16 families residing in the BVI who have sought assistance from the government here. These include six that have indicated that they want to return home according to Maj. Gen. Singh the government will have to devise a plan to assist those families.

On Thursday the government said it had doubled its contribution towards relief for the Caribbean territories affected by Hurricane Irma from US$50,000 to US$100,000.
In a statement issued by the Director of Public Information (DPI), Imran Khan, it was also disclosed that Minister of Citizenship, Winston Felix, will head a team of officials to the islands of St Maarten and the British Virgin Island (BVI), tentatively on Saturday. “The Government of Guyana is intensifying efforts to coordinate relief for Guyanese nationals affected by Hurricane Irma in a number of Caribbean islands, particularly St Maarten and British Virgin Islands which both suffered serious devastation following the passing of the Category five hurricane,” the statement said.
Felix will be joined by representatives of his Ministry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Civil Defence Commission (CDC). The team will conduct a needs assessment and will return after conducting assessments in Tortola and St Maarten.

DEEP CONCERN
Meanwhile, Nagamootoo, along with Felix who is also a member of the task force, held consultations with the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Major General (ret’d) Joe Singh (who is acting on behalf of Minister of State Joseph Harmon who is currently out of the jurisdiction) and other officials, on Thursday. Prime Minister Nagamootoo expressed deep concern for the welfare of Guyanese, particularly in Tortola and surrounding islands, Virgin Gorda, Anegada and Jost Van Dyke, and uttered words of relief at reports that Guyanese who were evacuated from Barbuda to Antigua are being accommodated by relatives and friends on the main island there. The Ministerial Task Force also includes Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge; Minister Harmon; Minister of Finance Winston Jordan; Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson; Minister of Public Affairs, Dawn Hastings-Williams; and Minister of Public Service Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine.