The Situation
Three days of torrent rains which began on 14 January have caused serious flooding in Guyana affecting more than 150,000 people. This is the third time since late December that rains have caused flooding in the country's capital, Georgetown and other coastal towns. After a day of relative sunshine the rains started again on the 22nd of January causing increased flooding in may parts of the country, including the capital Georgetown and surrounding areas. These are indications that the rainfall will continue to cause increased hardship for affected population. Whilst the main airport is still functioning and accepting flights, the state owned radio station is not operating and the Municipal Airport has been forced to close. Furthermore, the heavy rains have cut off some areas long the eastern coast of the country. There are also reports that one of the mail canals in the capital city of Georgetown burst its banks. Houses have been flooded and impassable. In some areas more than two feet of water are covering the roads making several communities unreachable for rescue teams. Read More...