11:30 a.m. Tuesday, 3 October, 2000
My Fellow Belizeans,
The All Clear is now declared for the entire country of Belize, but the Belize District, including San Pedro and Caye Caulker, the Orange Walk District and the Corozal District are now declared Disaster Areas.
The entire country of Belize continues to be subject to a state of emergency.
I must stress the need for persons residing near low-lying areas and rivers throughout the country to exercise extreme caution as Keith continues to produce heavy, persistent rainfall. These rains can produce life-threatening flashfloods.
Electricity in San Pedro and Caye Caulker will be down for several days. In Caye Caulker, the generators have been extensively damaged. A special team of electrical experts is being flown in from Canada to begin the work of restoring electricity to San Pedro as soon as possible.
Although electrical power supply to Belize City is at about 60%, full restoration of supply will take a few days, and even those areas now supplied will at times experience outages as a result of the repairs taking place. Many houses in the City have suffered damage. At a time like this, the personal security and safety of our citizens must be uppermost in our minds.
I have therefore decided that until electricity is substantially restored, the Belize District, including San Pedro and Caye Caulker, will be subject to a curfew in order to maintain law and order, ensure the personal safety of all citizens and protect property. The curfew shall be in effect from 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., commencing this evening, Tuesday 3 October, 2000. Elements of the Belize Defense Force will join the Police Department in enforcing the curfew. I appeal to all citizens in the Belize District to follow the instructions on the curfew that will be issued by the Police.
I am happy to report that although there have been some robberies, no major incidents of looting were reported during the hurricane, and I am determined to ensure that the lives and property of all our citizens will continue be safeguarded.
Priority Areas
Our priority is to focus relief efforts on Caye Caulker, San Pedro and the Northern Cayes. Food, Medical Supplies and Medical Personnel were deployed to Caye Caulker and San Pedro early this morning. Emergency transport has been deployed to bring those requiring special medical attention to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.
A damage assessment survey is underway. Preliminary reports are that in San Pedro, most roofs have suffered some damage. There are reports of minimal damage to piers and some beach erosion. Most of the damage appears to have occurred on the western side of the island. In Caye Caulker there has been substantial damage to buildings.
The Belize Defence Force has deployed a vessel with food provisions to San Pedro and Caye Caulker. Four relief columns are being deployed to San Pedro and two to Caye Caulker. Two columns will also be deployed in Belize City.
The State of the Nation�s Infrastructure
At this time we can report that:
All of our Highways are reported to be passable, but there are areas of the Northern and Western highways that are not passable for small vehicles and where extreme caution is essential. The northern highway between Belize City and Ladyville in some areas may be under 2 feet of water. Extreme caution must therefore be exercised on the Highways, especially by small vehicles and heavy trucks moving cargo.
All major bridges are also reported to be passable. The Municipal Airstrip is clear. Local aircraft and light twin-engine international aircraft can land at the Phillip Goldson International Airport. The San Pedro runway is being cleared and is usable. The Caye Caulker airstrip is also clear.
The Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital is functioning, although it has been extensively damaged. The Orange Walk Hospital is supplied and functioning. The Corozal Hospital is functioning at the new clinic building. It is fully supplied with medications, and has received offers of help from Mexico.
Fuel is available at some gas stations in Belize City, and at gas stations in Orange Walk and Corozal Towns. We are constantly monitoring the fuel situation.
Foreign aid and assistance
We have accepted offers of financial, technical and emergency relief assistance from several sources, including the United Kingdom, the United States of America, the Republic of China, UNDP, PAHO, the OAS, the Red Cross and the Inter-American Development Bank.
Two British Naval vessels, HMS Cardiff and RFA Black Rover, are scheduled to arrive in Belize, one by Thursday night and the other by Friday morning with 100 men to assist the BDF in the relief effort. The Cardiff has some mechanical expertise and medical staff, as well as a Lynx helicopter capable of effecting medical evacuation. The Black Rover has reverse osmosis equipment capable of producing 40 tonnes of drinking water per day. Hurricane stores include tarpaulin, wood and tools.
My Fellow Belizeans, we must all offer our prayers and thanks to God that at this time there are no reported casualties. Belize has been spared the fatal effects of what could have been a very devastating hurricane. The people of Belize have shown remarkable strength and resilience. We must all keep our spirits up and continue to lend assistance where we can to each other. We are aware that many Belizeans countrywide are volunteering assistance where it is most needed. After a hurricane of this strength and duration, it is inevitable that many of the services and comforts we have become accustomed to will be denied to us.
Let us all be patient and work together to restore all our services. Let us show the world that even in the midst of adversity, the Belizean people are capable of conducting themselves with civility and good order as law- abiding citizens of a proud nation.
God bless Belize.