And while those promised cement structures may take some time to arrive, what's been immediate is the provision of groceries, bedding, and shelter to affected families. It's part of a robust response program form Central Government - which - it seems - wasn't afraid to open the spigots at the Ministry of Finance.
And if you were on the streets of Belize City today you likely saw trucks handing out groceries and bedding all in the pursuit of making life after Lisa just a little more tolerable. Cherisse Halsall has that story.
At six days post-Lisa, Belize City is just starting to recover. For many that doesn't necessarily mean re-building. It can mean something as simple as getting much-needed groceries into the household and guaranteeing your family members somewhere warm and dry to sleep. And right about now that's where the government's relief program comes in
Ganesha Smith, Human Development Coordinator, Department Of Human Services
"The relief and supply management committee is one of the sub-comities under the national emergency management comitee which is NEMO, so what we are doing right now, we work post-disaster and so officers went out doing assessments and we are now based on those assessments we are now distributing supplies to families, more of humanitarian needs. So we are taking out dry ration food packs, we are taking our cleaning supplies. We are taking out hygiene kits and for those who are in need of mattresses we are also taking out mattresses for families."
Cherisse Halsall:
"When these assessments are carried out, how did, what were the determining factors that would say this family really needs some help."
Ganesha Smith
"The officers would do their physical assessment to see damages to person's homes as well as have a conversation with them because some might say well I was staying with a friend but I don't live at this address and we would take them to see exactly what their situation is so they might say I don't have anywhere to go so we would need to relocate them to another placement where needed so it is just persons who are telling us that they have been affected by hurricane Lisa. Assessment will be done with them and whatever the needs are we will try to meet them where we can."
Cherisse Halsall:
"And so in terms of the bags how is that distributed is it one per family?"
Ganesha Smith
"No, the bags are distributed by a ratio so we have 0-5, 5-10, and any families that are over 5 get a different portion."
It's short-term relief for the long-term hurricane effects that many families will face. But while that story will unfold in its own time, right now the focus is strictly on supplies, bedding, and in extraordinary circumstances at least one month's rent.
Ganesha Smith
"We are trying to have families regain some level of sustainability so some might say I would need my cash because I need to buy zinc, they might want to do that themselves. So with us providing the small rations then they will be able to use that finance for something else within the home. This is not long-term. It is very short-term. We are meeting the immediate needs and then we look at families who would have or would need long term assistance and then we would take that to another phase of this program."
