Concerned residents on Grand Cayman started an effort on Friday to fly at least 24,000 pounds of relief goods to hurricane-devastated Nicaragua.
Cayman residents brought bags and boxes of clothing, food and other goods to the Mango Tree Restaurant Saturday for the Nicaraguan Disaster Relief effort. Photo: Justin Uzzell |
The Miskito Coast area of Nicaragua suffered widespread destruction after sustaining a direct hit by Category 5 Hurricane Felix last week.
Dozens, perhaps hundreds of people were killed by the storm and thousands of people are in urgent need of food, water and medical supplies, said Nancy Bodden, who is helping to coordinate Cayman’s relief effort.
‘Each time I get a report, it gets grimmer and grimmer,’ said Mrs. Bodden. ‘We need to act right away.’
Puerto Cabezas and the surrounding villages were particularly impacted, with about 90 per cent of the towns destroyed. The airport and roads to the town were badly damaged, so access to the area is currently only by helicopter and boat.
Many Nicaraguan lobster fishermen were at sea or on the low-lying Miskito Cays when Felix hit. Some survived in the open sea, clinging to pieces of wood for up to three days. Many others died, and bodies were washing ashore in Honduras.
Once the relief effort was organised, Cayman residents began taking food, water, clothes and other goods to a drop-off point at the Mango Tree Restaurant. Dozens of volunteers helped sort and pack the goods.
Mrs. Bodden said Cayman Airways had agreed to donate a flight to take the relief supplies to Nicaragua, but there must be at least 24,000 pounds of cargo for the flight to leave.
‘I’m hoping we can get what we need by Wednesday or Thursday,’ she said. ‘People there are in dire need of help, so we are pushing to get it to them as soon as possible.’
In particular, Mrs. Bodden said food and medical supplies are needed the most. However, the relief group is also looking for a dozen or so volunteers to go to Nicaragua to help. She said Dr. Michael Hetley and three local nurses had already expressed an interest in going over on the flight to Managua.
The relief effort will not end with the upcoming flight, Mrs. Bodden said. It is hoped that a boat can leave Cayman with more supplies and some volunteers with construction experience who can help with the rebuilding effort.
Cayman and Nicaragua, especially the areas along the Caribbean coast, have historical ties going back more than a century. In addition, several hundred Nicaraguans settled here in the late ’70s and early ’80s around the time of the Nicaraguan revolution.
Several businesses, churches and service clubs had made donations to the relief effort Saturday. Others wishing to contribute to the effort can do so by contacting Nancy Bodden at 916-5196, Grenda Solomon at 926-2189 or Gay Smith at 916-2044.
Cash donations can be deposited directly into Bank of Butterfield US$ account number 01201033513 or CI$ account number 02101033513. Cheques should be made out to The Nicaraguan Disaster Relief Fund.
Related Videos
