In celebration of Amerindian Heritage month, the United States of America through the local embassy in Georgetown donated 50,000 high nutritional meals to be distributed to flood affected hinterland villages.
Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai received the donation which was transported to Guyana via the HSV Swift, a naval ship, which docked Guyana’s shores recently.
Minister Sukhai said that the donation is very timely as several Amerindian villages are facing difficulties due to heavy and concentrated rainfall over a very short period, particularly in Regions Seven and Eight.
She noted that the cost of airlifting food supplies to those remotes areas is extremely high and as such the minimum support that is being extended to the affected residents is basic.
Charge’d Affaires Thomas Pierce said that docking of the Naval Ship is part of the Southern Partnership Station’s annual deployment exercise to the Caribbean and Latin America. It is aimed at enhancing the information sharing between the US and partner nations on security cooperation issues. It also involves exchanges with navies, coast guards, and civilians of both the US and partner countries.
He said that the meals that will be distributed through the Amerindian Affairs Ministry, meet the nutritional requirements for physical health and mental capacity.
