The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) donated inflatable boats and motors to be used as part of the national response to severe flooding in Suriname, which has affected at least 6,000 people in assessed areas.
Last May, the President of Suriname, Chan Santokhi, made an appeal for assistance after he declared several districts as disaster areas for a period of 90 days.
The WFP equipment will help the Government of Suriname to reach impacted communities, particularly those areas that are more difficult to access, addressing pressing logistics constraints. The WFP contribution was made possible by support from the USAID Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance.
WFP joined the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and sister UN agencies on the ground in Suriname to support the National Coordination Centre for Disaster Relief (NCCR), which is leading the national response and is focused on getting much needed items to affected districts.
The logistics of the relief operation incorporates land, riverine and air transportation to ensure that supplies reach all of the impacted areas.
