FLOOD VICTIMS GET GIFTS FROM THE GOVERNMENT

NATIONAL EMERGENCY MANAGING ORGANIZATION PROVIDES NEW HOUSEHOLD GOODS TO DISTRESSED FLOOD VICTIMS

For the first time in the history of Belize, household goods have been supplied to distressed victims of the October flood. In the Cayo District of Western Belize, 25 families of Calla Creek and 9 families of Bullet Tree Falls were given new household items. Houses that were submerged and the contents destroyed were the main focus. Butane cooking stoves, the butane tanks themselves, mattresses, sofa sets and refrigerators were distributed to help people get back on their feet. In the past, going back to Hurricane Hattie in 1961, zinc roofing and tools were usually the items of donation by any incumbent government of Belize, to victims of natural disasters. Household goods are a departure, as is also this huge flood that came down river from Guatemala. There have been floods before, usually longer lasting, but this time, due to the de-forestation of the jungles of the Peten and converting them to cattle ranches; there were no tree roots to hold back the torrential rain water and feed the water out slowly. The October flood of 2008, was bigger, faster and much higher than any known before down river.

While such relief was appropriate for this first ever rushing big flood, in the future, riverside homeowners should be required to build their homes fourteen feet off the ground on posts, and carry flood and hurricane insurance in future years. The taxpayers have helped out this time, but as population grows, people MUST take responsibility for themselves and their assets.

TAIWAN DONATES SUPPLIES TO FARMERS VICTIMS OF THE FLOOD

TAIWAN donates to Cayo West. Mr. Cheng Hsuing Lin, Director of the Taiwanese Technical Mission at Central Farm Agricultural research station and also on behalf of Mr. Blanco, of Animal Health OIRSA, donated to the local area representative and Cabinet Minister of Agriculture, contributions valued at $84,000 and $4,400 respectively. The form of the donations to flood farmer victims, came as vegetable seeds, corn seeds and fertilizers.