Gov’t spends 12 million on Iris relief

As Nicaragua and Honduras brace themselves for the inevitable destruction the rains of tropical depression fifteen will cause, the National Emergency Management Organisation, NEMO, has released the latest damage estimates of Hurricane Iris. In a release, NEMO says Iris has cost the country as much as four hundred and seventy-five million dollars as it significantly affected the social sector, infrastructure, tourism, agriculture, industry and commerce, and the environment in the south. Government estimates they have spent more than twelve million dollars already, in emergency aid like food and building materials. The Ministry of Agriculture is in the process of distributing seeds and fertiliser to the farmers until they can resume normal production numbers. In the interim, charity organisations like the World Food Program and the Red Cross will be sponsoring food distribution programs and relief aid to those affected in the Stann Creek and Toledo Districts. But everyday things continue to improve. A release from the Belize Electricity Limited says the primary lines from Placencia to Maya Beach now have power, meaning some of the street lights are now on in Placencia and essential places like the police station.