One week after Hurricane Dorian there have been no reports of missing persons, casualties or deaths among the Guyanese population living in The Bahamas, according to Honorary Consul for Guyana, Jairam Mangra.
Mangra had previously told Stabroek News that he was attempting to account for several of the 80 registered families in the country many of whom include teachers in the public school system. He had encouraged Guyanese nationals on the hurricane-ravaged island chain to identify themselves as Guyanese to emergency responders and to get in contact with his office. Persons whose family members had not been accounted for were also encouraged to file missing persons’ reports.
The Consul noted that he has checked all the shelters in New Providence and found no Guyanese as those who have been evacuated have chosen to stay with friends and relatives.
Additionally, several persons affected by the hurricane in Grand Bahama as well as Coopers Town and Sandy Point in Abaco have chosen to remain on the island. The consulate has therefore worked to have supplies such as water and canned food delivered to those persons.
Though distribution is still slow, he said yesterday that he is using all his contacts to have relief supplies delivered to Guyanese nationals.
“I’m in contact with several survivors as well as the [Bahamian] Ministry of Foreign Affairs and NEMA [The National Emergency Management Agency]. Guyanese have only suffered property damage and loss of personal belongings including documents,” Mangra indicated.
He noted that so far he has issued eight passport application forms and is currently processing emergency travel documents for three persons to travel to Guyana by weekend.
“I anticipate more applications,” he stressed adding that he was visited yesterday by a Sandy Point resident who provided him an update on persons still living in that area.
Mangra explained that Marsh Harbour and Treasure Key have been decimated but Guyanese nationals living there have been rescued and evacuated to New Providence where they are properly housed.
While he has put in place a plan of action for any Guyanese in need to be able to contact him, Mangra is concerned about the large number of nationals who seem unaware that there is a Consulate in Nassau.
“Many of those coming have not registered with the consulate so I didn’t know they existed. You cannot be in a foreign country and not be registered with your consulate. You have to be registered to access services from your government,” he stressed, adding that he is now aware of at least a 150-plus professional Guyanese living in the Bahamas but only about 23 persons showed up at a meeting arranged to account for an offer assistance to nationals.
Stabroek News understands that members of the Diaspora are finding it difficult to offer assistance through official channels as even government agencies are “unaware of the consulate”.
Mangra had advised that overseas-based Guyanese make contributions through their embassies and consulates but Stabroek News understands that at least one consulate told those who reached out to them that Guyana has no representative in The Bahamas.
Asked to respond to this claim, Mangra noted that the Ministry regularly publishes a list of Foreign based representatives on which he is listed so he is not sure how anyone could claim he does not exist when he is there and working.