Ministry of Human Development to Assist Disabled Elderly Belize City Man

Minister Garcia is also taking action to assist sixty-eight-year-old Belize City resident, Gilbert Nathaniel. The disabled elderly man was featured in our newscast on Wednesday night. Nathaniel lives on Richardson Street inside a small wooden structure. He does not have access to electricity, water, or a bed. According to Minister Garcia, upon hearing of Nathaniel’s story, she requested that a team be deployed to his home.

Gilbert Nathaniel

Dolores-Balderamos Garcia, Minister of Human Development

“There was also a story of a disabled, gentlemen who is living in terrible squalor. Yes, yes, he’s living in terrible squalor. Know that that has been brought to our attention. It highlights the need for government and partners to do more, and we will get onto it. However, like I say, I want to make the point that government cannot do everything, and that we need the partnership with civil society, private sector, and everybody. The immediate responses that I’ve already requested our women and family support department to reach out to him and we will put our social protection officer and the women support officer and the family support officer in that department to go out there and deal with it immediately. Again, I am not making a promise of, of a, of a building a castle or anything like that, but, um, to put it bluntly, immediate attention is needed. And so we are starting to do that.”