While the rest of the country has been caught up with the coronavirus pandemic, residents of Masakenari in Region Nine have been silently suffering from the lack of food and basic items, the Toshao there has revealed.
Beginning in May, the indigenous community located in Region Nine has been experiencing heavy rain which has caused the Essequibo River to overflow its banks resulting in severe flooding of farmlands.
Toshao Paul Chekema told Stabroek News yesterday that due to excessive rains during the past month, vegetable and cassava crops have been destroyed leaving many families on the brink of starvation.
On Wednesday, he said, a public meeting was held and many persons complained that they didn’t have anything to eat because all their crops had been destroyed and they are not allowed to leave the community. “All my people farm affected. All the cassava soaked and rotten. No matter how high the farms are all the crops still soaked,” he said.
Chekema said that they had planned to go to Lethem to shop for supplies but were advised against doing so because they were told that Lethem now has cases of COVID-19. Despite that, he added, the residents have been doing their best to monitor their end of the Guyana/Brazil border.
In addition, he said, he was told that the roads are in a bad condition and given the location of the community, travelling would be extremely difficult.
To date, he said, the rivers close to the community are very high and the currents are very strong making it difficult for land travel so even if they attempt to leave their community, they might get stranded somewhere along their way to Lethem.
In addition, he said, the person who he had contacted for assistance told him that there is no President and so they should not be seeking any sort of assistance.
A total of 62 persons have been affected by the flooding.
Anyone willing to assist the community with food and cleaning supplies can contact the Toshao via Facebook.
Attempts to contact the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs (MoPIA) and the National Toshaos Council (NTC) for a comment were unsuccessful.
