Red Cross activated to aid with the disaster in Richard’s wake

In times of hurricanes, we have come to rely on the Belize Red Cross. Earlier today we found the organization in full disaster management mode. Over a hundred teams have been deployed to assist families affected by the storm. With membership on the NEMO Executive team, the Red Cross is represented at both national and district level meetings to keep abreast of any developments. Based on initial reports from teams in the field, the most common needs are food and clothing. Head of the Disaster Management Committee, Myrtle Palacio, told News Five they have been on alert since as early as Thursday.

Myrtle Palacio, Disaster Management Committee, Belize Red Cross

myrtle palacio

“Over a hundred NITs, National Intervention Team, we call them, persons who are trained in disaster management in first aid, in psycho social, in water management; areas of providing relief to people who are in recovery mode in the event of any disaster. So from Thursday we were on alert and then very high alert as we go into Saturday including activating our emergency operating center. Post hurricane Richard, we have people on the ground, we’ve gotten reports from all the districts and the areas we are concentrating on for second assessments are really Belize City and vulnerable areas of Belize City and moving into other—beside the vulnerable areas—other areas because we are finding out that there’s more water damage than we initially thought even in central Belize City because water came up high. In Belmopan, our branch there was working with the Department of Human Development, the shelter and the Ministry responsible for shelters and working with them to provide food to twenty-two persons. So our volunteers and other resource persons did the cooking and the ministry provided the food. So that was immediate, those people needed that today and so we moved into that. So it all depends on what the response is. What we’re getting back right now is that people need food, a few need tarpaulins to put over their roof; but mainly clothing and food for those who lost everything and a few who lost their homes to water or to wind damage.”

According to Palacio, the Belize Red Cross might launch an appeal on Tuesday for additional assistance.