Government Pledges $1 Million for Families Hit by May Fires

The Government of Belize is also working to provide relief to the hundreds of farmers impacted by the devastating fires in May. The National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) has been tasked with conducting an impact and damage assessment to get a complete snapshot of the impacts. Additionally, the government has set aside one million dollars to assist the victims. However, many residents in the south have complained over the sluggish response as several communities lost their crops. Today, the Minister of Human Development, Dolores Balderamos Garcia, acknowledged the slow pace but noted that help is on the way for the farmers and their families. 

Dolores Balderamos Garcia, Minister of Human Development:“Our NEMO Coordinator Mr.Mendez and all our minister everybody we’re working very closely on it and there is I want to say that although there may be the feeling that assistance in long in coming our ministry is very much a part, an integral part of the NEMO response which definitely will continue. We’re going to make sure that we give that response even though rainy season start we cannot forget the victims of the terrible fires because of climate- change in Toledo. So we will continue to work very closely in getting out the assistance not only for food but also the psychosocial support that we need to give to people. I mean I was told of the lady with her child they wanted to go and save their farm and they got trapped, they actually got trapped by the fire and so it was wonderful that villagers and also the government workers were able to assist in saving that could have been a fatal situation. And I want to assure the public in Toledo that we’ll continue to work together along with the NEMO response.”

According to NEMO, the disaster impacted 400 hundred farmers across 28 communities in Toledo.