Belizeans mobilize to provide relief

While offers of disaster assistance continue to come in from abroad, the more immediate help for communities stricken by Keith is being generated locally. The University of Belize has established a relief drive and is asking all students, faculty and staff to deliver food and clothing items to the Dean’s office at the respective campuses. Supplies for children and infants are high priorities, particularly pampers and powered milk. PACT, the Protected Areas Conservation Trust, has come through with a generous gift of a commodity that is always welcome: cash, $50,000 to be exact. The money will go to the Belize Red Cross for distribution where it is needed most.

On a more direct level the southern communities of Placencia, Seine Bight and Independence have joined forces to send badly needed supplies to San Pedro. The boat Auriga II from Rum Point Inn was diverted from its usual dive boat duties to make the run to Ambergris Caye and will make a second trip, hopefully loaded to the gunwales, sometime next week.