CitCo Lends a Helping Hand in Wake of Faber’s Road Tragedy

Bernard Wagner

The tragic incident that claimed the lives of five-year-old Samir August and his grandmother, fifty-three-year-old Louise Young on Faber’s Road in the wee hours of this morning has gripped the nation. Among the first responders to render aid to the affected families was the Belize City Council.  The mayor himself visited the scene and was later joined by a team of employees who have since conducted a damage assessment.  With help from the National Emergency Management Organization, city officials have been able to provide basic necessities, including mattresses and other relief supplies.  It’s the first of several humanitarian efforts being extended in the wake of the disastrous event.

Bernard Wagner, Belize City Mayor

“Any tragedy that impacts residents of our city, as a responsible council and as a caring council, we want to be first responders and we felt that while we are not taking, what you would say, responsibility for the incident, it occurred.  We wanted to show the family that we are here for you, we are mourning with you, we share your loss.  The city shares your loss, the council shares your loss and by extension the entire community shares in your loss and we wanted to make no bones about it that we wanted to assist and render assistance in whatever way we could.  Our assessment team was out there to assess the damage.  We have, we have been in communication with NEMO as well.  I was briefed that the family will be taking up residence temporarily at family members’ homes.  NEMO has indicated to us that they will provide some items, mattresses and that sort of thing to get them back in a livable condition.  Our CEMO team is working along with them.  My assessment team has indicated that the construction or the rehabilitation of the damage would be done within two weeks, but we want to fast-track that so that we get these people back into normalcy.  We know that a tragedy like this, there is no normalcy for a while and so we want to make it as easy as possible.  It is never easy, but we want to ensure that we are there for the family.”