Region Ten’s Regional Emergency Health Committee has begun mobilising food supplies which they plan to distribute to families in the region who are affected by the nationwide lockdown.
In a statement to the press, the committee noted that considering that the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) has already implemented a similar initiative, those supplies will only be distributed when it becomes necessary or when the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is declared a national emergency.
“Regional Chairman, Renis Morian and his team have ventured into preparing several food hampers, which he disclosed will be distributed to several affected families should the situation worsen. He said that the hampers while being put together now will not be distributed now (but) will be shared out if the situation becomes a national emergency,” the statement read, while noting that Region Ten is a very large region and should the current situation change, distribution of food supplies might be the only way to help persons who are severely affected.
Even now, the statement read, the committee recognises that several families are already experiencing difficulties. Several businesses are closed which resulted in numerous persons being unable to take care of themselves and families.
“CDC will be playing its part and we at the RDC level will also be playing our part, that is why we have been mobilising support in whatever way that we can to assist those desperately in need. We cannot provide the level of support and assistance that many persons may expect because as you know, my office along with several others do not receive any monies at the moment but we are mustering up from our personal monies aided by several business individuals [and] we are of the firm view that we can help,” Morian reportedly said.
Morian added that the committee will accept any form of contributions including cash, declaring that regional authorities should not wait on the government to assist their residents. “We are cognizant that Government cannot do everything, so we have decided that we will come together and initiate this so that we can get to the families and individuals that desperately needs help. There are some families that are in urgent need of help and as the Regional Chairman, I will play my part until a new Regional Chairman is sworn in,” Morian added, while encouraging other regional authorities to follow suit.
It was disclosed that the committee has been creating a database, which will document the families most in need.
“We are now compiling our data base with what we already have so that when we are ready to distribute, we know who and where to distribute. This will limit our volunteers in meeting persons and we are using this situation to further bond together as a community as now is the time for all communities to come much closer together. In times like these we must be our neighbours’ keepers and that is what we will be doing as I can assure you that while some persons are comfortably sitting at home there are those who doesn’t know where their next meal comes from and as such, we must remember those as we can all coexist if we learn to share and remember those in need,” Morian stated.
