Officials in Linden and other communities in Region Ten have voiced their concern that those most in need did not benefit during the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) mission to distribute food hampers as part of its COVID-19 relief efforts.
The Region Ten Regional Democratic Council on Saturday said that Linden Mayor Waneka Arrindell and Regional Chairman Renis Morian, who were bombarded with calls for assistance, both raised the issue with Regional Executive Officer Orrin Gordon.
In a release, the region said that as a result Gordon, who is head of the Regional Health and Emergency Committee for Region Ten, he has indicated his desire to have a closer collaboration with the CDC.
Waneka Arrindell
“The major complaint was that the first set of distribution of food hampers created the stir where persons deemed as needy were left askance as others more endowed received. The lists which were compiled by councillors and other community persons identifying the most needy was not used, apparently,” Gordon was quoted as saying.
He added that he is aware that the CDC does not have hampers for all 10,000 households in the region and said that against this background relief should go to the most vulnerable.
According to the region, Arrindell disclosed that she was originally contacted by the CDC for a list of vulnerable names and she and her councillors put it together with the assistance of several persons from the RHEC committee. She, however, said that not a single name that they had suggested had benefitted during the distribution of the relief hampers.
“They came in and without using anyone from the list that we had provided, they went about and share out to anyone and everyone and sadly many of those who got didn’t need as those who were really vulnerable were left out,” the Mayor was quoted as saying.
She added that distributing food items in Region Ten will evidently be a challenge if there isn’t a proper plan. “Some of those persons who got stuff had only received salaries a few days ago , while some claimed that they had families when they didn’t. So, without using the list that we had provided it [the distribution] was certainly not properly organised and within a short time they ran out firstly of bags and then subsequently of items,” Arrindell said.
Meanwhile, Morian noted that CDC should have worked with the list provided by the region, while noting that it would have ensured that those most vulnerable would have benefitted significantly. He urged organisations seeking to provide relief to those in the region to consult with the local leaders so that they would be better guided in their efforts.
“It’s madness to receive a list of those who are vulnerable, but you come into the region and begin sharing without no input from any regional leader. As a matter of fact you didn’t even see it fit to indicate what day you were coming but just touch down and begin to share this is certainly not the right approach that CDC should have taken and like the Mayor, REO and others, I am equally disappointed,” Morian said.
