Red Cross’ Lily Bowman: “Belize is Spared of Tremendous Damage”

Hurricane Nana dissipated near Guatemala’s border with Mexico after making landfall in Belize. Assessments of damages are ongoing in the agricultural sector and work has commenced on the ground to clean up debris that has been strewn across communities in southern Belize where the storm made landfall and had the most impact. According to a preliminary report from DANA, the Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis, indications are that the agricultural sector in the south, primarily banana farms and corn fields, has been destroyed and the damages are in the millions.  The Belize Red Cross is working closely with NEMO to provide some level of relief to those families affected. Director General Lily Bowman began by giving thanks for Belize being spared of tremendous damage. 

Lily Bowman

Lily Bowman, Director General, Belize Red Cross

“We have to say thank God that the country was basically spared again from tremendous damage that could have been if we had gotten a direct hit. Unfortunately, several people in the southern part of the country as we know now have been affected. The agriculture sector especially has been really impacted and I guess lots of economic loss has been recorded there, at least in the millions of dollars. In the immediate phase after the all clear, rapid assessments are conducted right away in the affected areas, as far as we can reach. This was initiated by the NEMO District Coordinators and the Ministry of Human Development, the people in charge of DANA and they were out as soon as they could have gotten into the areas to do the preliminary rapid assessments. Those are very important to give us an idea of the extent of damage to inform whatever plan of action has to be developed and rolled out and what form of assistance and extent of assistance will need to be provided.”