Region 10 COVID-19 Committee disappointed with CDC food distribution

…needy, most vulnerable left out of exercise

Regional Executive Officer and Head of the Regional Health and Emergency Committee of Region 10 (Upper Demerara- Berbice), Orrin Gordon has hinted that he wants a closer collaboration with the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) in order to ensure that the two organisations work for the greater good of the mining community of Linden and Region 10.
He was at the time responding to several concerns that residents raised through the Mayor, Waneka Arrindell, and Regional Chairman Renis Morian, who said that several residents continue to bombard and call upon them for assistance.
“The major complaint was that the first set of distribution of food hampers created the stir where persons deemed as needy were left askance as others more endowed received. The lists which were compiled by Councillors and other community persons identifying the most needy was not used apparently,” said Gordon.
He acknowledged that the CDC does not have hampers for all 10,000 households of the community and as such, the hampers should go to the most vulnerable. Moreover, many are unscrupulous, even in this difficult time and extra care must be exercised.

The Mayor disclosed that she was originally contacted by the CDC for a list of vulnerable names which she said she and her Council had put together with the assistance of several persons from the RHEC Committee. She, however, disclosed that the CDC officials went into the region and distributed without using a single name that they had suggested.
“They came in and without using anyone from the list that we had provided, they went about and share out to anyone and everyone and sadly many of those who got didn’t need as those who were really vulnerable were left out,” the Mayor noted.
She said that distributing food items in Region 10 will evidently be a challenge if there is not a proper plan as to who are those that are being targeted and how it is going to be distributed.

“Some of those persons who got stuff had only received salaries a few days ago, while some claimed that they had families when they didn’t, so without using the list that we had provided it was certainly not properly organised and within a short time they ran out firstly of bags and then subsequently of items,” she said.
Meanwhile, Regional Chairman Renis Morian noted that the CDC should have worked with the list provided by the region, noting that it would have ensured that those most vulnerable benefited significantly. He urged organisations and institutions that seek to execute similar ventures to consult with the regional leaders, explaining that they would be better guided in what they are doing.
“It’s madness to receive a list of those who are vulnerable, but you come into the region and begin sharing without no input from any regional leader. As a matter of fact, you didn’t even see it fit to indicate what day you were coming but just touch down and begin to share. This is certainly not the right approach that CDC should have taken and like the Mayor, REO and others, I am equally disappointed,” Morian said.