And while the Red Cross works independently, the majority of the relief effort should be organized by NEMO. And it's that same NEMO that has been the subject of so much criticism over the past few days. Residents in storm affected areas have lashed out at the Emergency Management Organization, saying that, by all outward appearances, the response has been worst than inadequate, it's been non existent. And while that may not be the fact, it is the perception, and that's why NEMO today dispatched a disaster response and recover veteran to move things along in Corozal. James Jan Mohammed hit the ground today and three hours after taking charge at the command center he told us the relief will come, in fact, it's on the way. But even with the best coordination, in a disaster everything takes time.
James Jan-Mohammad, Disaster Relief Coordinator
"We had an initial problem here which was that the actual EOC needed some coordination, that's all, and once we did that, we're finding
that the stuff is happening. It's already in place and it's going on. What happens is that if you do not have an emergency operations center that's able to communicate with everyone or even coordinate everyone so well. Remember Corozal is fairly inexperienced and I don't want to show anybody off but the point is that in San Pedro and Caye Caulker we practice so bloody much that there is no body that can beat us at this job so we can better coordinate this situation."
Jules Vasquez,
Everyone has needs and people feel NEMO, and they just use that term abstractually, but NEMO is not meeting their needs, NEMO is nowhere to be found.
James Jan-Mohammad,
"Well NEMO is here. We're here, we're available. By this afternoon we'll have a telephone line for the public to call me direct here or call the offices direct here with any problems their having and we will sort those problems out according to priority. What I would like to ask everybody is to make sure that you understand that you're not going to get everything
today. You've been hit by a major hurricane. You know in San Pedro we didn't have any electricity for five weeks, it was over a month, and actually my left me for that duration because she couldn't stand me without no electricity. So it is not a joke when these things happen. There are a lot of problems, a lot of equipment down. To get it up you need a lot of coordination and we are doing that."
Jules Vasquez,
From my analysis the needs seem to be electricity, food, water, and shelter.
James Jan-Mohammad,
"Water, I've almost got it sorted. Xaibe was a problem with water and Chunox's got a problem with water, and a lot of other places have problems with water. The problem is the generator. So we purchased generators, they are on their way. The only thing we can't purchase in this country are these 40 megawatts generators which Gentrac have ordered and they will be here on Thursday and that's only for two villages. The other ones, the smaller ones, single phase ones works so these ones will be here Thursday and then the villages of Chunox and San Narciso, I will be supplying them with water
for the duration until those things are set in. But the other villages, by this evening we should have generators already here, actually they should be here any moment."
Jules Vasquez,
I know every itch can't be scratched in a day but how long will it take before the people of the Corozal District have a meaningful sense of their disaster being responded to effectively?
James Jan-Mohammad,
"By the end of this weekend...it's already trickling out. Just give me this weekend, by the end of this weekend you should see, it's already happening but by the end of this weekend there will be communication out there. There is so much wrong communication going out there; people are not understanding."
And to go with Jan-Mohammed's appointment, NEMO has also stepped up its public information effort. Statistics provided this evening by NEMO say that tonight: 207 persons are in shelters in Patchakan, Paraiso, Chan Chen and Carolina. 828 five gallon containers have been distributed to those shelters. Today 5,489 persons in both districts were provided with basic provisions for a week. A Cuban team of 27 arrived today to assist with spraying for control of mosquito borne diseases.
