Nickerie

Nickerie, zondag 30 januari 2005

More relief supplies arrive
Overseas-based religious organisations pitch in
By Shauna Jemmott

Overseas-based religious organisations collaborated with Travel Span and Trans Meredian Airlines to fly in much needed relief supplies. Early yesterday evening, a Boeing 757 landed at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri with food and other supplies.

A representative of the Trinidadian organisation ‘Is there not a cause’, Ms. Avonelle Hector (left), Chief Executive Officer and President of Traval Span, Nohar Singh,(second from right)and two other members of the entourage on a special relief flight from New York and Trinidad and Tobago, with some of the items that were flown in yesterday evening. (Picture by Quacy Sampson)

The Travel Span plane landed at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport around 17:35 hours yesterday, and the supplies were handed over to the Government, and members of various organisations that have been active in the drive towards providing relief to victims of the unexpected flood.

President and Chief Executive Officer of Travel Span, Mr. Nohar Singh was among the team of business people, aid workers and journalists visiting Guyana for a few hours to deliver the items, highlight the plight of coastlanders and sympathise with Guyanese.

He said his company has collaborated with Trans Meredian Airlines to offer free flights to transport relief supplies from the United States to Guyana, to assist the country in dealing with the effects of the floods that have caused three of its Administrative Regions to be declared disaster areas.

“This is a very emotional moment for all of us,” Mr. Singh said. He added that his company takes great privilege in serving the people of Guyana at a time when it is faced with such a catastrophe.

The gesture is out of pure compassion, he assured.
Mr. Deo Persaud hands over his company’s contribution to Prime Minister Hinds. Also in picture is AINLIM’s divisional manager, Mr. Robin Lowe (GINA/Royston Telford photo) Mr. Toolsie Dyal Esau Shamshudin hands over funds to Mrs. Yvonne Hinds. Others in photograph are Messrs Cutting and King and Ms. Carter. (Picture by Cullen Bess-Nelson)

A portion of the supplies was handed to the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG). The CIOG had made pleas for overseas assistance from its sister organisation, Masjid al-Abidin in Richmond Hill, Queens, New York.

The Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, and the Guyana Council of Churches were also presented with portions from SWAHA, a Hindu organisation, and a Trinidad and Tobago Christian group `Is There Not A Cause’.

Information Liaison to the President, Robert Persaud, on behalf of the government, thanked the organisations and private individuals for their assistance to the people of Guyana.

He assured the entourage that Guyanese are not starving, but are in need of food and medical supplies to take them through the unfortunate ordeal.
Mr. Shabeer Hussain of Banks DIH presents a cheque for $2.0M to Colonel Chubilall Ramsarup as Banks PRO, Mr. Ian Hercules and Minister of Public Works, Mr. Anthony Xavier look on. (Picture by Cullen Bess-Nelson) Chinese Vice-Minister of Commerce, An Min and Minister of Foreign trade and International Cooperation, Clement Rohee unveil a plaque to mark the beginning of the new Skeldon Sugar Factory project.

Persaud told the Travel Span President that the supplies have been placed in trusted hands, since the Guyana government has placed its confidence in the three religious organisations to ensure a balanced distribution of the supplies.

He informed the visiting members of the press of the efforts by Government to control the situation, and updated them on the distribution processes.

“There is an organised structure in the national relief efforts… All Ministers are going out personally, overseeing the various components of relief efforts,” he said, adding that he had observed “the spirit of people coming together and sharing.”

He said the three organisations have been working closely with the Government, and there has been no complaint about religious discrimination in the distribution of the supplies.

“We have all confidence in the bodies… they have been very universal in this effort…,’ Persaud said.

Despite the plight, Persaud noted that Guyanese are still in high spirits, and are ready to move on.

“…our people are in a spirit to move forward and recover from this calamity,” Persaud assured the visitors.

Insurance managers/brokers advise:
Take deeper interest in insuring property against floods
'The flood is now opening the eyes of many as to what it is to face a catastrophe.’ – Bishwa Panday
'I don’t (envision) people building houses on very low land anymore… They should elevate the building or the height of the land on which they build.’ – Hans Barrow
By Shauna Jemmott

In the aftermath of the flood that blanketed Georgetown, the East Coast and parts of the West Bank of Demerara, and caused the death of five lives, displacement of thousands and the destruction of property, local insurance managers and brokers are advising Guyanese to take a deeper interest in insuring against flooding.

However, in order to achieve insurance against destruction by flooding, one would actually have to purchase a Fire Policy, since local insurance companies do not offer Flood coverage, as an independent insurance policy. It is offered as an extension to the Fire Policy.

A flood in this case, could be defined as the “overflowing or deviation from their normal channels of either natural or artificial courses, bursting or overflowing of public water mains and any other flow or accumulation of water originating from outside the building insured or containing the property insured.” Insurance is defined by Sir Winston Churchill, as an “attempt to provide financial assistance when the client needs it most.”

Insurance policies offered to home owners are designed to bring homes and their contents back to the same financial condition in which they were before the damage or loss, but according to an online source, flood insurance is meant only to get you back on your feet.

Heavy rains coupled with overtopping of conservancies caused the floods that severely affected the lives of thousands who reside in Regions Three, Four and Five more than two weeks ago. Large portions of flat houses and lower flats were covered with water, resulting in billions of dollars in assets being ruined.

While the Guyana government, private companies, international organisations and the governments and peoples of other countries rallied to minimise the effects of the flooding, by supplying foodstuff and other relief to victims, many Guyanese are concerned that they have practically nothing to return to but water-stained buildings, garbage and lots of cleaning.

Places that were once luxurious living rooms, relaxing patios, comfortable bedrooms, and kitchens have now become scorned, covered and defamed by the waters that carry germs of all kinds, and raise serious concerns about the outbreak of diseases.

Many cling to the hope that through their insurance coverage, they will be able to once again make their homes what it once was.

The Sunday Chronicle has conducted interviews with managers of insurance companies and brokers, all of whom have concluded that many Guyanese take insurance for granted and should purchase insurance against flooding and other disasters, now that they have experienced the current calamity.

Mr. Hans Barrow, of Insurance Brokers Guyana Limited said the nature of calamities such as the one Guyanese currently face, usually causes individuals to think in retrospect.

Describing the flood situation as “brand new (and) very unfortunate”, Barrow said, “the ordinary man, the man in the street, does not regard insurance of house, equipment, and other assets as being very important, because they do not think a loss through a flood could have been possible.”

He said some people who fall under the middle-income bracket would have recognised the importance of having insurance for their property and have taken the `Householders Comprehensive Policy’, under which several perils fall.

“They (the insured) can now legitimately make a claim… because of the floods,” Barrow explained.

He however advised that before making the claim, one should be able to differentiate a flood from water damage.

“As long as you really know what is happening on the East Coast of Demerara right now, you know what a flood really is - there is uncontrolled water, water everywhere, no discrimination… You’re walking in it, you’re living in it… that’s a real flood,” Barrow declared.

“Its ability to recede is incomparable with the rate at which it is rising, and it is also supplemented further by incessant rains,” he further stated.

Water damage, on the other hand, occurs when there is bright sunshine and everywhere is dry, and water falls on your equipment or furniture or other property.

He said clients can make their claims through Insurance Brokers, which is responsible for selecting and buying insurance for clients, bringing them into a contractual relationship with an insurance company.

“'We, as brokers, have placed all kinds of insurance for many people… from the small man, to the big conglomerate,” he said, adding that over the years flood insurance has not been a “common place peril” that people thought about buying.

Barrow described flood Insurance as an extension within a Fire policy, which can either be offered or declined by an insurance company.

As part of their investigation into a client’s possible qualification for the offer, he said insurance companies would have to work closely with the national Meteorological department to find out whether or not a flood by natural causes is likely to occur soon.

“Insurance companies lose and would not want to insure in the presence of a known risk,” he pointed out.

Restructure buildings
In order to avoid the comeback of such sufferings, his advice to property owners in flood hit areas is to restructure their buildings.

“I don’t (envision) people building houses on very low land anymore… They should elevate the building or the height of the land on which they build,” he suggested, and recommended that those in authority seriously address this preventative course of action.

Barrow also recommended that directing the course of large volumes of water should be professionally and carefully done, and the accumulation of the geographical flow of water from high lands into low lands be carefully supervised.

“Professional and serious attention should be given to the topology of the lands to see how the water flows. There is a conservancy basin that holds all the water to save the lower lands. We need to widen the conservancy to make it a little bigger so it can hold more water,” Barrow added.

He said the current experience has given Guyanese an opportunity to correct themselves where they possibly can, in order to ensure that something similar does not recur.

He said if adjustments are not made, the value of houses in flood-hit areas will slope downward.

“People will certainly be looking at change. Many of them spend their last dollar building beautiful houses… they will really not have the same resale value,” he pointed out.

“They have to amend (or) they will certainly have to live in alternative areas.”

Meanwhile, another Insurance Broker Bishwa Panday said in the aftermath of the flood, many Guyanese have experienced, and are still experiencing, a catastrophe, and will definitely be looking at taking measures to secure their assets through insurance, in the general sense.

Panday, who manages P&P Insurance Brokers and Consultants, said most of the flood victims without insurance, have suffered greatly and will have to start all over to make their house a home again, while those who have had insurance for their properties will have their assets replaced through claims.

"The flood is now opening the eyes of many as to what it is to face a catastrophe,” Panday said.

He however advises that one should not only insure against flooding, just because of the effects of the current flood, but think about insurance in general, since no one can accurately predict what will happen next.

“The way global warming is going, you don't know what can happen at anytime… You don't know what exposures you have. People have to be more insurance conscious," he pointed out in an interview with this newspaper.

“When the flood waters recede and you get back to normal, you have the exposure of electrical fire... all kinds of disasters,” he noted.

Panday said many Guyanese arrive at the conclusion that insurance is beyond the reach of their pockets, but according to him, some can be as low as $200 per week.

He said even though insurance is affordable and many companies offer such services here, Guyana is definitely an under-insured place.

Up to Thursday, his company had received some 50 claims from clients who have been affected by the flood. More claims are expected once the water recedes.

"The client formulates his claim with the assistance of his broker and that claim is presented to the insurance company. Then there is a process of negotiation between the broker and the insurance company," he said of the process.

However, a person who has lost an item can get either the depreciated value of that item, or the cost of a new item of similar make, depending on the sum insured and conditions of the policy.

He said those interested in insuring can either go directly to an insurance company, an insurance agent or an insurance broker.

As for flood-hit areas, Panday said: "People have to be cognisant of the vulnerability of living in those areas, and if they are building new structures, they will have to take precaution and seek technical advice.”

He said Guyanese should consider a statement by Winston Churchill, which partially reads, “If I had my way, I would write the word 'Insure' … on the blotting paper of every public man. For I am convinced, that for sacrifices that are inconceivably small, families can be protected."

“In the aftermath of severe rainstorm and abnormal tidal surge, many Guyanese need a chance to stand on dry grounds, breathe in a fresh atmosphere and live comfortably in their own homes.”

According to an employee of the Demerara Mutual Fire and Life, the company will have to carry out an investigation to find out if it will make much sense for them to offer ‘flood’ as an independent policy, other than just an extended peril within the fire policy.

Eerdere berichten:

Bron:
Guyana Chronicle	,30-01-2005

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