NEMO On the Ground in Toledo to Assist Wildfire Victims  

According to the Toledo West Area Representative, the National Emergency Management Organization, NEMO, has deployed personnel to the area to conduct assessments of the damage and its impact on the community. Requena is calling for a reconnaissance mission over the area so that Belizeans can get a better understanding of all that has been lost so far. Here is what he told us.

 

On the Phone: Oscar Requena, Area Representative, Toledo West

“What I can say is that I just spoke to the minister of NEMO and what has happened is that there has been activation on the ground and certainly here is a lot of work taking place. The first thing is to get the various agencies on the ground to conduct an assessment of what has occurred and how it is impacting the livelihoods of our people, issues associated with fires and smoke, possible health issues and really with a strategy to provide some sort of relief where possible. I want to ask that apart from just the great negative effects on the livelihoods of people it is really heart breaking to see the severe damage on the flora and fauna. You are talking about seeing tapir burnt, ocelots and gibnuts, just wildlife. It is really terrible. I want to call on the authorities to do a reconnaissance of the area and they would really, I think the nation would get a clear understanding of the damage and impact that has occurred to just lands in the Toledo District.”