DANA in Rural Belize Conducting Detailed Assessment
Since last week, the Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis team of the National Emergency Management Organization has been visiting areas that were severely affected by the recent floods. The assessment is being done to collect detailed information on damages to household items or structures, which can only now be determined post disaster. News Five’s Duane Moody caught up with the team as they were out in Burrell Boom today.
Duane Moody, Reporting
Personnel from DANA, the Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis team, were out in rural Belize District taking stock of the damage to structures, property and farms, even livestock of those who were severely affected by the floods. The team will go house to house interviewing residents and getting a picture of the destruction in the wake of the disaster. It is step-two in a series of assessments carried out. The detailed evaluation can only be done after waters have receded and DANA is able to access communities and homes.
Alpheus Gillett
Alpheus Gillett, Belize Rural Coordinator, NEMO
“The detail assessment has started since last week and some of the villages that were accessible, we have completed. But we had to wait for this week to continue the assessment. So presently we are in Burrell Boom doing some detail assessment. So the NEMO DANA team is on the ground in Burrell Boom, as we speak, doing some assessment.”
In Belize River Valley, residents are waiting for their turn to be assessed; some say that their homes are no longer liveable and household items were destroyed.
Kimberly Seguro
Kimberly Seguro, President, Community Disaster Response Team, Burrell Boom [File: December 8th, 2020]
“Yesterday I went home to check on my house and I can clearly say that my home is not safe for me; my floor is damaged. I have another neighbour that lives right beside me, her flooring is also damaged. The young man that lives behind me, his entire home was under water – it was only the roof that was out of water – so he needs, I believe, a complete house.”
Yasmin Anthony, Secretary, Lemonal Village Council [File: December 8th, 2020]
“Most of them were affected and I believe that some stuff has been destroyed, but you have this house that just the top you could have seen and I know a lot of stuff was destroyed in that house.”
Yasmin Anthony
Duane Moody
“NEMO is going to come through to help out?”
Yasmin Anthony
“Yes, I believe they will come by because they came already.”
The affected residents will be assisted with household items, among other necessities upon completion of the assessment.
Alpheus Gillett
“When it comes to a disaster, as soon as that all clear is given, it means that our team can go out. So what we have done up to this point, most of that initial assessment has been done. Most if not all families have received some type of assistance when it comes to food and water supply. So now the next step is to do more a detailed assessment where farms and structure will be assessed, trying to get back families into the normal way of life. We had focused firstly to provide that immediately supply for families and secondly what we had done and are still doing is to get an assessment in terms of household items that have been damaged and in some case destroyed. And presently we are replacing household items for families.”
If you were severely affected and have been missed in the assessment, you are asked to contact Alpheus Gillett at 205-9058 or 614-4735. Duane Moody for News Five.
