A significant drought is affecting Guyana. School transport by canoe has become difficult or even impossible on rivers where the water level is at its lowest. Monday, November 4, schools remained closed. Army helicopters transported students from Trois-Sauts to Camopi to allow them to return to school in Saint-Georges and Cayenne.
Schools have become inaccessible in recent days due to the drought in Guyana. River levels are at their lowest. It is difficult or even impossible to travel in canoes on certain parts of Haut Maroni and Haut Oyapock.
In this context, the rectorate has set up a crisis unit. He decided to close the Antecum Pata and Pilima schools, which are now inaccessible by canoe. In total, 106 students are affected.
In Kayodé, the school is closed for reasons of work being carried out on the water tower, and 58 students are also deprived of lessons. Schools are also plagued by lack of water. The rectorate is currently considering how to ensure educational continuity for students from the river.
In exceptional circumstances, exceptional delivery. Monday, November 4, students from Trois-Sauts boarded army helicopters to reach Camopi, and then fly to their schools in Saint-Georges and Cayenne.
The PUMA helicopters of the Armed Forces in Guyana (FAG) were requisitioned by the prefect to allow this transport of middle and high school students.
“We can only reach Trois-Sauts by helicopter, so these are PUMAs which make three flights each, explains Air Division General Marc Le Bouil, Commander of the Armed Forces in Guyana (FAG). Each flight allows for 14 children to be taken on board. Middle and high school students were therefore able to make this journey from Trois-Sauts to Camopi.. They will then be transported to Saint-Georges and Cayenne.
Thanks to this operation coordinated with the support of the civil security support mission (MASC), the students were able to return to their schools for the start of the school year.
The prefect of Guyana also asked the Armed Forces “to help transport the necessary logistics to Western Guyana, particularly in the Maripasoula basin”. In this specific case, the army is working with “the Casa plane to coordinate these freight delivery maneuvers towards Maripasoula”. The whole challenge is to ensure the transport of goods and people during this period of intense drought in the department.
Like all the countries crossed by the Amazon River, Guyana experiences a particularly strong dry season, after a below-average rainy season. The ORSEC plan was launched by the prefecture on October 29.
