U.N. agencies pledge support for relief effort

Today the United Nations, through the local offices of WHO, U.N.D.P., U.N.F.P.A. and the Office of Humanitarian Affairs, announced that they will render humanitarian aid to Belize in the wake of Hurricane Dean. Before the assistance is delivered, however, the U.N. office will conduct assessments in the affected areas.

Jessica Faieta, Resident Coordinator,U.N. Belize
“The monetary package amounts to about three hundred and fifty thousand U.S. dollars for the immediate humanitarian response, that will include not only the—that has included already—a lot of technical assistance in the process of helping NEMO and the government in the zone efforts of assessing the impacts on the people. But most importantly also to ensure that there is proper information and that we can help in the coordination. In addition, every agency has been monitoring, for instance, W.H.O. has been monitoring the health of the population, making sure—UNICEF, making that the children are taken care of, the schools are in what capacity they are.”

“UNICEF and U.N.D.P. are mobilizing additional resources for school rehabilitation, for income generation activities; so we are here ready to assist the country and to continue our efforts.”

Rana Flowers, UNICEF Representative in Belize
“That we have found children who are starting to suffer from diarrhoeal diseases, and so we have immediately, with the Ministry of Health in this case, ensured that they have oral re-hydration salts which are gonna help them build back their strength and fight off the disease.”

Flowers says the number one priority right now is to provide food and water. The U.S. has also announced that it will provide aid to the government. This afternoon, an aircraft loaded with supplies landed in Belize to be distributed in the hurricane affected areas. The U.S. government will provide one hundred thousand Belize dollars for NEMO officials to purchase other items that are deemed necessary.