Although residents of Masakenari, in Region Nine, are grateful to the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs (MoIPA) for its recent donation of food supplies, Toshao Paul Chekema has said it will not be enough since it is only the beginning of the rainy season and most of the villagers’ crops have died after being inundated for a few days.
Two weekends ago, consistent rainfall caused the Essequibo River to overflow its banks near the indigenous community, resulting in farms being inundated for a few days. Chekema told Sunday Stabroek yesterday that as soon as villagers realised what was happening, they rushed to reap their crops in the pouring rain.
However, the water on the farmlands continued to rise and people were forced to retreat to the shelter of their homes as the rain fell nonstop.