Twelve trucks left Mahaicony yesterday morning bringing much-needed food supplies to increasingly desperate East Coast communities.

Several trucks left Berbice laden with 450 bags of rice, 90 bags of split peas, flour, sugar, sardines, full cream milk, black-eye peas, butter, salt, garlic and other items.

These were transferred into the 12 trucks parked at Fairfield, Mahaicony and along with an army escort began the journey handing out food in Gibson, Supply, Helena, Jonestown, Ann's Grove, Bee Hive, Plaisance and Better Hope among other villages. Stabroek News passed through the area and first encountered flooding at Paradise public road which was under one foot of water. From there to the city, displaced residents lined the road; some were cooking, making boats and fishing. Many children were begging for money while some families had their bags packed and were waiting on transportation to move out.

Zulfikar Mustapha, parliamentarian and PPP representative said on Friday the owners of Spready's Bakery at Port Mourant had sent over 700 loaves of bread. They joined with another businessman, Kris Jagdeo to send 86 bags of rice, ten bags of flour, ten bags of sugar, five bags of salt and 20 bales of toilet paper. This was sent through the People's Progressive Party in Berbice.

The Guyana Islamic Trust (GIT) of Berbice, as well as groups at Blairmont, Cotton Tree and Bath Settlement are cooking food and distributing to residents of some East Coast villages. The Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana, Berbice, the GIT and businessman Fazal Habibulla distributed a quantity of beef. They also made cash donations.

A telethon, spearheaded by Daniel Da Costa was held on Little Rock television station and many residents pledged numerous items as well as cash, which would be deposited into an NBIC account.

Also involved in the telethon, which lasted for three hours were the Berbice Chambers of Commerce and the churches. The organizers have over $300,000 at hand to purchase more items that would be sent to town today.

Meanwhile, a permanent disaster committee, headed by chairman, Kumkarran Ramdass has been set up in Region Six should flooding start there.

Ramdass told Stabroek News he summoned an immediate meeting with the police, fire service, Guysuco, Berbice chambers, Lions, Rotary and the Rice Producers Associa-tion.

He said there was no large extent of flooding because the region had put measures in place by clearing all the major outfall channels. He also has drainage pumps at Fyrish/Courtland areas, Letter Kenny, Liverpool, Adventure, Eversham and Number 43/Joppa.

The region has lent two pumps from Letter Kenny and Adventure, which Guysuco assisted to transport. Each pump has the capacity to drain over 35,000 gallons per minute.

In Region Five, Chairman Harrinarine Baldeo told this newspaper that the water was rising in Mahaica and he has opened the Maduni creek sluice, which drained water into the Mahaica River. The water has affected crops but so far has not reached residents. Yesterday he visited Grass Hook, Joe Hook and Baibo as well as the De Hoop branch road.

West Berbice is affected to some extent, but the situation is manageable. Baldeo said Belladrum was slightly under water since Monday and it is draining slowly through the Onverwagt sluice which is far from the village. He said it cannot drain through the Abary sluice as the sea water would come in.

Other areas affected in West Berbice are Lovely Lass, Number 28 Village, Litchfield and Number Eight Village. Baldeo said he had to find accommodation at the old Number Eight Primary School, but this started to leak and residents had to leave and go to relatives.

He is appealing to residents to accommodate families who are affected.

A number of farmers in the Mahaicony areas have lost cash crops and fear they would lose their rice soon. Bhola Persaud of Now or Never said 60 acres of his rice crop, which is two weeks old, is under water and if the rain continues he would not be able to save it. Persaud has lost 900 watermelon roots.

Kennrick Ali said he lost 20 banks of celery;, Ganesh Persaud lost 60 roots of ochro and 100 banks of peppers; while 50 banks of eschallot and 300 boulanger plants went under water for Michael and Linden Shepard.

Gangaram Hardat of Planter's Hall said the water covered 500 cucumber plants, 250 pepper plants, 25 roots of corilla and saime, five roots of squash, 15 beds banks of celery and ten banks of "red head" eschallot. (Shabna Ullah)

Twelve trucks left Mahaicony yesterday morning bringing much-needed food supplies to increasingly desperate East Coast communities.

Several trucks left Berbice laden with 450 bags of rice, 90 bags of split peas, flour, sugar, sardines, full cream milk, black-eye peas, butter, salt, garlic and other items.

These were transferred into the 12 trucks parked at Fairfield, Mahaicony and along with an army escort began the journey handing out food in Gibson, Supply, Helena, Jonestown, Ann's Grove, Bee Hive, Plaisance and Better Hope among other villages. Stabroek News passed through the area and first encountered flooding at Paradise public road which was under one foot of water. From there to the city, displaced residents lined the road; some were cooking, making boats and fishing. Many children were begging for money while some families had their bags packed and were waiting on transportation to move out.

Zulfikar Mustapha, parliamentarian and PPP representative said on Friday the owners of Spready's Bakery at Port Mourant had sent over 700 loaves of bread. They joined with another businessman, Kris Jagdeo to send 86 bags of rice, ten bags of flour, ten bags of sugar, five bags of salt and 20 bales of toilet paper. This was sent through the People's Progressive Party in Berbice.

The Guyana Islamic Trust (GIT) of Berbice, as well as groups at Blairmont, Cotton Tree and Bath Settlement are cooking food and distributing to residents of some East Coast villages. The Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana, Berbice, the GIT and businessman Fazal Habibulla distributed a quantity of beef. They also made cash donations.

A telethon, spearheaded by Daniel Da Costa was held on Little Rock television station and many residents pledged numerous items as well as cash, which would be deposited into an NBIC account.

Also involved in the telethon, which lasted for three hours were the Berbice Chambers of Commerce and the churches. The organizers have over $300,000 at hand to purchase more items that would be sent to town today.

Meanwhile, a permanent disaster committee, headed by chairman, Kumkarran Ramdass has been set up in Region Six should flooding start there.

Ramdass told Stabroek News he summoned an immediate meeting with the police, fire service, Guysuco, Berbice chambers, Lions, Rotary and the Rice Producers Associa-tion.

He said there was no large extent of flooding because the region had put measures in place by clearing all the major outfall channels. He also has drainage pumps at Fyrish/Courtland areas, Letter Kenny, Liverpool, Adventure, Eversham and Number 43/Joppa.

The region has lent two pumps from Letter Kenny and Adventure, which Guysuco assisted to transport. Each pump has the capacity to drain over 35,000 gallons per minute.

In Region Five, Chairman Harrinarine Baldeo told this newspaper that the water was rising in Mahaica and he has opened the Maduni creek sluice, which drained water into the Mahaica River. The water has affected crops but so far has not reached residents. Yesterday he visited Grass Hook, Joe Hook and Baibo as well as the De Hoop branch road.

West Berbice is affected to some extent, but the situation is manageable. Baldeo said Belladrum was slightly under water since Monday and it is draining slowly through the Onverwagt sluice which is far from the village. He said it cannot drain through the Abary sluice as the sea water would come in.

Other areas affected in West Berbice are Lovely Lass, Number 28 Village, Litchfield and Number Eight Village. Baldeo said he had to find accommodation at the old Number Eight Primary School, but this started to leak and residents had to leave and go to relatives.

He is appealing to residents to accommodate families who are affected.

A number of farmers in the Mahaicony areas have lost cash crops and fear they would lose their rice soon. Bhola Persaud of Now or Never said 60 acres of his rice crop, which is two weeks old, is under water and if the rain continues he would not be able to save it. Persaud has lost 900 watermelon roots.

Kennrick Ali said he lost 20 banks of celery;, Ganesh Persaud lost 60 roots of ochro and 100 banks of peppers; while 50 banks of eschallot and 300 boulanger plants went under water for Michael and Linden Shepard.

Gangaram Hardat of Planter's Hall said the water covered 500 cucumber plants, 250 pepper plants, 25 roots of corilla and saime, five roots of squash, 15 beds banks of celery and ten banks of "red head" eschallot. (Shabna Ullah)