LOVE FM AND BELIZE RED CROSS JOIN FORCES TO ASSIST FLOOD VICTIMS

June 06, 2008

The Belize Red Cross is continuing with its relief efforts in order to help flood victims in the north and especially in the south. The appeal to the public continued today and Love FM joined the effort in order to assist the Belize Red Cross in getting as much needed supplies as possible to those in the affected areas.  

Julia Carillo Jones, Executive Director at Love FM

“We decided to do a relief drive because of the fact that so many people were affected by these flash floods that did so much damage in such a short time and people lost everything. We at love we area bout serving our community its one of the primary reasons for our existence. Apart from being a private radio station we love to serve our community and we were one of the station who had been on the air all during the tropical depression when it was tropical storm tropical depression and we’ve heard the calls coming in we heard the different people saying that they’ve lost everything we heard the cries from people and so we decided why not do a drive to raise some funds. We did it last for the people up north, we’ve done it before with the red cross and we decided that it is time we another time we do something else.” 

We also spoke to Arturo Vasquez, Chairman of the Disaster Management Committee of the Belize Red Cross who told us more about their efforts to help those in need. 

Arturo Vasquez, Belize Red Cross Disaster Management Committee Chairman

“Since Monday the Red Cross had activated our disaster management committee every since then we have been working towards providing a lot of support especially to the southern part of the country where as we know that was the most affected. We are now concentrating now on the north as well because we know that waters are rising there as well and we already know that there is over a 150 family out there that need assistance. A lot of clothes have been coming in. I think the Red Cross we have clothes all the way to the roof really to be honest. We must insist also there a need for a lot of can foods, yes the clothing please don’t stop bring the clothing the clothing it’s always needed. Right now were dealing with an immediate relief that’s really what were are addressing right now but of course people will come back to their homes a week or two from now you will be cleaning up your homes so they’ll be a need also for cleaning materials and also to get people back into their homes. There is also a long term, that’s where the Red Cross also comes in. The Red Cross works in several stages right now we’re dealing with an immediate assistance that is where we pull on the public really for them to give us what they have. There is a lot of money coming in right those monies will definitely go along way. Everything is welcomed but the money sometimes is better because we can use that in the areas that we think is necessary.” 

Vasquez says that the Red Cross welcomes all the assistance as they will also be dealing with the immediate and long term needs of those affected.   

Arturo Vasquez, Belize Red Cross Disaster Management Committee Chairman  

“The Red Cross of course as I said earlier, as we deal with immediate needs the Red Cross also has plans for medium to long term so that we are doing that. We are also pulling on the international federation of the Red Cross were that is where the red cross locally doesn’t have any money we don’t have money for this we depend on the local public initially in this stage to help us to able to provide immediate assistance. But as we speak the Red Cross is also in the process of doing appeals internationally because we have to do international appeals which of course as you may appreciate are a bigger amount of money. But the purpose of that really is then that we have to have a plan of action and that action is then put into place later on as the weeks go on because these people will need long term assistance. So the Red Cross also concentrates on things like that work is in the making right now.” 

The Red Cross continues to assess the situation in the affected areas so as to determine what the real needs of the people are. Vasquez says that while the clothing and blankets are welcome, food items and baby products are also needed. Those wishing to assist the Red Cross can also deposit their contributions to any of the local banks in the accounts of the Red Cross Relief Fund; at First Caribbean bank account number 1-0-02-8-7-0-3, Alliance Bank account number 1-9-1-9, Belize Bank account number 6-9-5-1-1, Scotia Bank account number 9-1-3-3-2-4-6, and Atlantic Bank account number 2-1-0-6-5-7-2-4-3. 

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