59 residents displaced, remain in shelters

Region 9 flood aftermath

…environmental health personnel offering guidance – CDC Head
By Shemuel Fanfair

Though the floodwaters in sections of Lethem and surrounding areas have largely receded, the 59 residents who were evacuated from their homes for safety reasons remain in shelters after nearly two weeks.

This was confirmed by both Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) Vice Chairman Karl Singh and acting Head of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig – who related to Guyana Times on Sunday that the affected areas were being monitored.
While it is not clear when the various households will be able to return to their places of abode, Vice Chairman Singh stated that the residents were being allowed to clean their surroundings.
“Persons are in the shelter as of today [Sunday]; we are still monitoring the situation. We have cleaning agents, including Jeyes fluid, to give to the affected people to clean their homes and disinfect the surrounding areas before they can go back home,” Singh told this publication.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel Craig told this newspaper that as the water around Lethem has been receding, there have been no reports of disease outbreak.
“There are no outbreaks; what we try to do is use preventative measures such as bleach in water and water purification tablets…we monitor the situation continuously and we are in contact with the regional administration under the regional disaster risk management system,” Craig pointed out.
He also informed that the Public Health Ministry has a team targeting the affected areas with community outreaches by its environmental health personnel who have been providing guidance on the necessary measures persons can take to prevent diseases.
Meanwhile, additional flooding remains a cause for worry since the water level could rise again with another heavy downpour. The affected areas included Deep South Rupununi communities such as Karasabai, which was cut off from Central Lethem.
Regional Chairman Brian Allicock noted earlier this month that a group of Toshaos had travelled into the area via boat, using a different route.
It was reported several days ago that Deep South Rupununi’s main access road en-route to Aishalton was partly washed away.
Food security is another concern that was recorded since the floods in the Deep South had also destroyed farms. Regional Chairman Allicock noted in early July that some 20 farms were inundated with over three feet of water.
The flooding was caused by several rivers, particularly the Takutu River, overtopping because of heavy rainfall in the region and over in neighbouring Brazil, which had resulted in overtopping of the Rio Brancho River. The CDC had delivered supplies which included water purification tablets, collapsible bottles, detergents and other cleaning supplies, beddings and blankets, among other materials.