U.K. donates 3 million Bze dollars to Iris’ victims

As the rains continue to hamper the physical relief efforts in the south, the lobbying for international support for victims of Hurricane Iris is also unrelenting. The United Kingdom has pledged to donate one million pounds sterling, approximately three million Belize dollars to aid those affected by Iris. A government press release says the money will be used in a priority recovery program for long term reconstruction efforts. In addition to the funds, a team from the Department for International Development, DFID, will arrive in Belize in November to assess the livelihood needs of the people living in Southern Belize so that additional resources can be allocated to them. Through the European Community Humanitarian Office, Britain has also agreed to contribute nine hundred thousand dollars to emergency efforts. Oxfam, a U.K. based charity, is also donating one hundred and fifty thousand dollars to aid Belizean farms with the replanting of lost crops.