One week after Hurricane Earl, Belize City and other storm-affected communities are starting to come around. Now, don't get us wrong, over a hundred are still in shelters, and many homes are still not in a live-able state. And that's why NEMO started rolling out housing relief supplies today. We met the CEMO team in the Collett Area and councilor Phillip Willoughby says that this first stage is for the do-it-yourself-ers:...
Phillip Willoughby, City Councilor, CEMO
"These are self-health material, this is not the initial outlay roll out to reconstruct homes, just people with minimal damage. As you can see, there are several damaged zincs on the roof. Those that are down there have been delivered with the screws of course and they will proceed to do the requisite changing of the zincs. We have the technical people now on the ground checking to see what actually the damage is, and based on what the damages are, then we come back after they have signed off on it and we make the deliveries."
Jules Vasquez
"You know there are so many people in need and the criticism will be that you all are only hurrying these resources to favored persons or maybe to UDP persons and that sort of thing."
Phillip Willoughby, City Councilor, CEMO
"I would dispute that."
Jules Vasquez
"That house right up the street is in a completely terrible condition with sidings compromised, roof compromised, if you look at it objectively, you'd say worse than this structure. So then are you all really reaching out immediately to the neediest?"
Phillip Willoughby, City Councilor, CEMO
"As we stated in our discussions, we look to seek to help the people with minimal damages, to deal with those first initially. Those damages homes where you'd say roof has been completely destroyed, siding has been lost, and those assessments will be done by the contractor in details. If it deems that the entire structure has been compromised, we won't just go there and displace another family. What will happen in a few days' time after the assessment, that house would have to be demolished so that process. That program will not kick off immediately until after the house has been demolished, taken away or the yard looked at and then the reconstruction phase of those types of foam will come about."
Reporter
"Sir as there currently is, there's the latest NEMO release saying there's 170 persons still in shelters, and I think Belize City still has the majority. In terms of looking at that and getting them back to a place for them to stay, how soon can we see this happening?"
Phillip Willoughby, City Councilor, CEMO
"What the ministry is doing at this time, the minister briefed and stated that the persons in shelters, homes will be rented for them and immediately thereafter, their homes will be attended to and looked after."
Email
Print