Citizens
Initiative, Social Workers assessing impacts of flood
Press Release
4th February, 2005
The Guyana Citizens Initiative for Flood
Relief (GCIFR) and the Guyana Association of Professional Social Workers
(GAPSW) have joined hands to conduct a detailed socio-economic and
psychological impact survey of the now three-week old flood, which
has been caused by un-seasonal and very high rainfall last month.
Coordinator of the survey group, Dr Desrey Caesar-Fox said the 10-member
core-team has already examined the proposed methodology and has been
refining the assessment forms.
Dr Fox said the results of study would be used to determine the type
of counseling that might be needed as well as determining the medium
to long-term measures that might be required for future similar disasters.
"It is really important because I think we need
to have that recorded so that they can advise future decisions at
a policy level and you must have this kind of information to feed
into the type of decisions that are very necessary," Dr Caesar-Fox
said.
A sample of the total number of shelters in Georgetown and East Coast
Demerara, which are housing more than 3,000 people, would be taken
and the occupants asked to respond to a few simple questions about
life in the shelter such as access to water, food and sanitation,
she said.
Caesar-Fox added that a number of people would be interviewed in detail
to develop case-studies to, among other things, ascertain the impact
of the flood on female-headed households mainly in depressed areas
such as Sophia.
"I think women in a lot of ways have garnered
themselves to try and make a future life for their children by building
their own homes in Sophia Squatting areas, since most of the are women,
but the floods came in and just got rid of their dreams," she
said.
The GCIFR was established on January 26 by a small
group of professionals to contribute to the national response to the
disastrous flooding caused by unusual heavy rains last month, meanwhile
urges community organisations to join the Citizens Initiative at Demerara
Mutual Life building and help assist in speedily identifying the suffering
of human beings.
The latest available figures show that 293,988 persons have been affected
(39 per cent of the total population) in 113 villages. This represents
some 60,000 families, mainly on the East and West Coast of Demerara,
and the West Bank of Demerara. The most affected area is on the East
Coast of Demerara between Georgetown to Mahaica where an estimated
72,020 people in 68 villages have been affected.
The GCIFR works along with community-based organisations, non-governmental
organisations, the private sector and professional organisations to
assist in the coordination efforts and responsibilities of the government,
United Nations (UN) agencies, donors and others who have allocated
human, financial and material supplies.
Contact Information:
Denis Chabrol
Guyana Citizens' Initiative for Flood Relief,
Demerara Life Building (above BWIA International)
Robb Street,
Georgetown.
623-5430
