Water levels significantly recede in Region 7 – CDC

…says need for more aggressive health interventions

The Civil Defence Commission’s (CDC) Director General, Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig, along with members from the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) on Saturday visited a number of communities in the Lower and Middle Mazaruni, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), where a significant decline of the flood waters was observed.

Colonel Craig was accompanied on the observation mission by CDEMA Preparedness and Response Manager Joanne Persad and Programme Officer Rasheed Pinder, who are currently in Guyana leading the team conducting the Detailed Damage Sector Assessment (DDSA) on Guyana’s flooding situation.
The team also noted the need for more aggressive health interventions, which would be communicated to the Health Ministry. During the trip – spanning from Bartica to Isseneru Village – the villages of Isano, Semang, Olive Creek, Enachu, Tamakay, Poopy Show, and Apaikwa were visited.
Region Seven is one of the five regions which were hardest hit by the flooding in Guyana that has been ongoing for over one month now. In some cases, homes and businesses directly located along the river banks in Region Seven were covered by as much as 12 to 15 feet of water.
Several families have been forced to relocate inland, on boats and pontoons. The situation has severely affected mining activities, which is the region’s main economic activity.
The CDC has since deployed a number of hampers to the region which included food, cleaning and health packages.
Colonel Craig noted that the recession of the water marks a welcomed improvement for the ongoing flooding situation, and the CDC looks forward to continuing to assist residents as the country begins to look towards recovery.
During the visit, Colonel Craig also checked in with the DDSA teams that were conducting field work in the region.
There are two teams which conducted DDSA data gathering in Region Seven. One team is covering the Lower and Middle Mazaruni and another team is covering the Upper Mazaruni.
Both teams have concluded their field work in that region, and are now working on their data analysis that will form part of the DDSA report which will be submitted to Guyana.
DDSA was also conducted in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); Five (Mahaica-Berbice); Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).