Less than 12 hours after making a request to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), Guyana on Thursday received the first set of 500 cots to be placed in shelters to house those affected by flooding across the country.
The cots were received by the Civil Defence Commission (CDC). Thousands of Guyanese are currently severely affected as heavy and persistent rainfall have left several communities countrywide inundated. The cots were received by the Director-General of the CDC, Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig, from a team attached to the Regional Security System (RSS) at the Eugene F. Correia International Airport, Ogle, East Coast Demerara.
Craig later told the media that the timely donation is a testimony that the regional bodies and the original response mechanism are working “effectively and efficiently.”
“Our initial request was made yesterday to the Executive Director [of CDEMA] Elizbeth Riley and immediately she reached out to all the other countries, all the other participating states and they were able to acquire a total of 500 cots to boost our shelters.”
According to Craig, a total of five shelters have been established countrywide; one in Region Nine and four in Region Ten. Region Ten is currently one of the worst affected by the floodwaters.
The Director-General explained that the CDC has enough cots at the existing shelters. However, it is preparing for the worse.
“We are planning ahead to ensure that we have supplies here before there’s a deficiency; you do not want to wait until you have a deficiency, and then start asking for supplies.”
Shelters have been established at Tabatinga Sports Complex, Arapaima Primary and Culvert City Nursery, Region Nine, and Aroaima Nursery, Aroaima Primary Shelter and Kwakwani Primary in Region Ten. Efforts are being made to establish shelters in Region Five shortly.
