Over 20-Thousand food packages have been distributed so far to families in private shelters who have been displaced as a result of the explosive volcanic eruptions at La Soufriere.
In a report to the meeting of the National Emergency Council on Monday June 21st, 2021, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Mobilization, Catherine Defrietas, said that so far Twenty thousand, five hundred and thirty (20,530) food packages have been distributed to displaced families in private shelters.
Some two thousand, two hundred and seventy-four (2,274) persons are also receiving cash transfers from the World Food Programme (WFP), with just under eighteen hundred collecting so far. According to the Ministry of National Mobilization, food assistance and cash transfers will continue over the next few months, with some 2-thousand food packages being currently distributed weekly. The Ministry is also delivering food to persons in the red and orange zones daily.
Meantime, the Roads, Buildings and General Services Authority (BRAGSA) is making tremendous strides in cleaning up affected communities to facilitate the return of persons particularly in the orange zone.
BRAGSA’s CEO Kem Bartholomew has indicated that the company has carried out extensive cleaning in Chateaubelair and should complete the exercise in that area by the end of this week. According to Bartholomew, the clean-up exercise in Chateaubelair slowed down due to the number of persons returning to the area to do their own cleaning. He also indicated that by the end of next week cleaning in Fitzhuges should also be completed, while Georgetown, Dickson and Langley Park continues to be cleaned. BRAGSA has also began work on cleaning the areas North of the Rabacca Dry River.