45 families affected as flooding hits Kaikan; CDC promises relief

Residents of Kaikan, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) who are affected by flooding will soon receive relief assistance and food items from the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) as monitoring of the flood-affected areas continue.

Region Seven Chairman Kenneth Williams told the News Room on Wednesday that residents living in the mining area of Kaikan were being relocated after it became inundated. This was a result of heavy rainfall and high tides on Tuesday.

“At least 45 homes or families have been affected,” Williams said during a telephone interview with the News Room.

“The water keeps rising and at our level, we are assessing the situation with the CDC and hoping to make an intervention,” Williams further noted.

An assessment of the area is being done by the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) and the CDC. The CDC Deputy Director General, Major Loring Benons said members of the CDC are expected to arrive by air at Kaikan on Wednesday to carry out the assessment.

“We heard that some people already start relocating from the area that is affected which is expected because once you have water in people’s place that’s the first thing they are going to do, they are going to relocate.”

“They started being affected yesterday, the assessment will be done today to see what need of food is needed because the food items are moving from Georgetown into that area. We have to look at the most vulnerable and make the assessment from there so that is the importance of getting the team in there immediately so relief can be sent,” Benons explained.

“My operation team will be on the ground today and from that we will be able to give a direct release of information from our end,” Benons said.

The community located at the Guyana/Venezuela border is close to rivers that overflowed and affected the persons living closer to the mining area. Over 200 persons live in the area.

According to the Guyana Hydromet, rainfall is expected to continue for another 12 hours.