Following Thursday’s handover ceremony at the San Ignacio Town Council, Chargé d’Affaires, Keith Gilges joined UNICEF, National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) and the Belize Red Cross to deliver emergency aid kits to families affected by recent hurricane flooding in Belize.
The U.S. Government, through the U.S. Embassy and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has been supporting the work of UNICEF to reduce the risk and impact of COVID-19 for vulnerable children and adolescents in Belize. The project received funding of U.S. $300,000 to support a comprehensive response to the critical needs to reduce the risk of COVID-19.
As a part of the project, 354 families from the areas most severely affected by Hurricane Eta in the Cayo District have benefited from the provision of emergency hygiene and nutrition kits. The kits contained critical hygiene supplies for a family of five, and also included a nutrition hamper with supplemented food. Educational materials on hygiene and nutrition are included in the kits as well.
Gilges, his presentation in the Conference Room at the San Ignacio and Santa Elena Town Council on Thursday morning said that children have been most affected this year by an increase of natural disasters in Belize and the rest of the Caribbean.
“This has really been a year for the history books when the world has faced a global pandemic in Central America and two back to back major hurricanes in this region. These crises have transcended borders and upended so many lives. Faced with COVID-19, flooding, unemployment, and economic hardship the citizens of Belize continue to brave these circumstances with strength and resilience. But in times of crisis and hardship, we also trust that we can turn to our neighbours and to our friends for support. The strong relationship between Belize and the United States ensures that whatever difficulties may come our two nations stand united in our shared goals of health, security, and prosperity,” said Gilges.
According to Gilges these packets address immediate concerns of life, security, and health for all of those who receive them. But they also stand as a pledge to all Belizeans that the United States will continue to work to do its part and to help where it can.
“In doing this we strengthen the bonds between our two countries. The US government’s commitment to the Belizean people is not new and nor does it simply relate to the crises of the past year,” he said.
Alison Parker, the Representative from UNICEF also joined in to report that children have been impacted by recent events.
“When the family loses the home, when the family loses property, when the family loses livelihood, children are the worst affected. They are affected because there are issues of nutrition, there are issues of health because there is water contamination and disease outbreak,” she said.
Parker continued, “There are issues of education because then they may lose all their books and learning equipment so that’s another key consideration. And there is the issue of livelihood; the family does not have anything to provide and it is the kids who ultimately suffer the most.”
John Ramclan from Cayo’s National Emergency Management Organization NEMO reported that some 400 families had been affected in his sector by hurricanes Eta and Iota.
Rodel Barrera from the Belize Red Cross was also present on Thursday morning, acknowledging that the Belize Red cross was very pleased in being a part of the distribution of packages. The Belize Red Cross has a cadre of volunteers countrywide. The humanitarian organization has seven branches so is able to respond to any disaster along with government partners such as NEMO.
The team visited Calla Creek on Thursday, Santa Familia on Friday, and Bullet Tree on Saturday to continue with the distribution of packages to affected families. Residents in these areas continue to recover from the effects of Hurricane Eta and residuals from Iota.
