Several homes in Kwakwani, Upper Berbice River, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), were covered by floodwaters on Tuesday, as the community continues to battle with the effects of major flooding.
The Region 10 community is one of the worse hit areas in the region, and residents have already begun evacuating.
The Kwakwani Primary School is now serving as a temporary shelter for persons displaced by the floods. It was reported that mattresses from the Student’s Hostel and other supplies were recently taken to the location to assist residents.
Some of the houses that are under water
The Lamp Island and Waterfront areas are amongst those mostly affected. The Regional Democratic Council (RDC) has reported that floodwaters are threatening communities all across the 6555 square miles of the region.
“With 4 inches of rain forecast for today and tomorrow, several homes at Kwakwani are already completely under water, with the top flat of others under threat from the flood waters. Efforts to mitigate against the impact of this situation continue,” Regional Chairman Deron Adams was quoted as saying on Tuesday.
Earlier, he noted that the RDC has distributed hampers to residents which was boosted by input made by officials and residents.
“This effort comes on the heels of the recent provision of hampers and other supplies committed by the Civil Defence Commission and the President in the wake of the initial response by our Councillors on the ground and the RDC’s appeals for same,” he said.
Some of the houses that are under water
Regional Vice Chairman Douglas Gittens recently spearheaded the distribution of these supplies to affected communities as part of the relief efforts. Residents of Kwakwani were also assisted with cleaning supplies to sanitise their surroundings as well as food hampers by Government and regional officials recently.
The RDC said it will continue to monitor the situation, and urged the provision of resources from the Government and other relevant agencies to address the needs of those affected.
Some of the houses that are under water
The Riversview community is also said to be amongst the worst affected in the region.
“Apart from severely affecting the living conditions of residents and posing a serious health threat, flooding there has damaged crops and killed livestock, widening the area of response that the RDC has to grapple with. The Council has apprised the relevant authorities of the need to respond to this location as well, and will continue to coordinate these efforts to bring relief to residents here and at the several other areas affected, “the RDC said in a recent statement.
