Farmlands located in Regions Seven and Eight are currently inundated with several inches of floodwater, caused by excessive rainfall and consequent overtopping of some rivers.
Clyde Henry, Toshao of Waramadong village and Deputy Chair of the Upper Mazaruni District Council of Region Seven, has said that many residents who practise subsistence farming have reported that their farmlands have been submerged, thus the entire region is likely to be affected.
“The farms are under water. While some farms might be inland, the floods affect the soil and the roots of the cassava, so the situation right now is not good; people are struggling with their farms,” he explained.
Amerindian villages generally depend heavily on cassava cultivation, as this vegetable is the main staple in their diet. With several farms in these regions being destroyed by flooding, it will take another nine months before another crop of cassava could be reaped – a situation which Toshao Clyde Henry greatly laments.
Head of the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA), Jean La Rose, has told Guyana Times that other communities affected by the flooding have also reported their cash crops under water. She said: “Communities are very much affected. We don’t have the numbers, and that is what we want to put together now. We want to know the number of farms affected, and how (badly). We know farms have been affected and are devastated, and homes (have been) destroyed, but we need numbers.”
An aerial view of one of the flood-affected communities – Chenapau. At a normal level the river is at least 20 feet lower than the current level
La Rose said an APA team which visited some of the flood-affected communities has reported that the homes of residents in the various villages are leaning, mainly because their respective foundations have been weakened; and, in most cases, residents’ utensils and clothing have also been destroyed.
The APA head noted that a lot more work has to be done to reach those in both regions who have been affected by the flooding, and the relief effort may have to continue for several weeks if the rainy season continues.
She also disclosed that the APA had on Monday been informed that the water level in the Region Seven communities of Chenapau and Eteringbang has been rising, and there are major issues in regard to communication between coordinating teams from the city and the affected communities.
“Not having any direct communication with the communities about what is needed has been a problem. Relief has taken some time to go in as well,” she lamented.
The CDC and the Public Health Ministry, along with several local businesses and organisations, have assisted to alleviate the plight of affected residents by delivering food items and health-care services. The Public Health Ministry has also dispatched several doctors, nurses, community health workers and environmental health officers to the affected communities.
Approximately 10 houses have been washed away, and more than 20 have been under water in Waipa, as flash-flooding hit Region 8. However, the Civil Defence Commission has activated its emergency response team since Thursday.
