Flood-Hit Guyana Appeals for International Help

Flood-Hit Guyana Appeals for International Help

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=7387846
Thu Jan 20, 2005 06:52 PM ET

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (Reuters) - Guyana appealed to the international
community on Thursday to send food, boats, power generators and water pumps
to help thousands of its inhabitants forced from their homes by the worst
floods in more than a century.

President Bharrat Jagdeo's government made the appeal to diplomats in
Georgetown after declaring the capital and outlying areas disaster zones,
government officials said.

In the heaviest rains to hit the South American state in more than 100
years, at least one person drowned and thousands more were sheltering in
schools and churches to escape flood waters that swamped Georgetown and
settlements to the east and west on the Atlantic coast.

A Brazilian military plane was due to fly in a donation of 16 tonnes of food
on Thursday, Brazil's embassy said.
Guyana's army was helping to distribute food to flood victims, using boats
to reach areas cut off by the water.
The U.S. Embassy in Georgetown, which was closed earlier this week because
of the floods, said it was allowing the voluntary evacuation of
non-essential personnel and families.

It warned Americans who chose to stay that the floods had disrupted power
and traffic and police had reported thieves were taking advantage of the
floods to try to rob motorists.

© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.



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