With more than 40 victims of the MV Barima tragedy laid to rest in recent days and families across the country continuing to mourn their loved ones, the Government of Guyana will provide financial support to survivors of the disaster and the families of those who lost their lives. President Dr Irfaan Ali announced that the assistance is part of a national response aimed at providing long-term care and compassion rather than compensation for those affected by the tragedy. The announcement was made during a social media briefing, where the President stressed that the support is intended to assist affected families and does not constitute compensation. “I wish to announce that I have asked Mr Iman Harrison Courtenay of Belize to assist in working out the modalities relating to financial assistance for the survivors and the victims’ families. Mr Courtenay brings to this process a wealth of experience as a practitioner of law, as a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, former Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade of his country.

“I wish to make it clear that this assistance does not constitute compensation for survivors and bereaved families. These measures embody a commitment that every survivor will be supported and every bereaved family will be treated with dignity.”

Meanwhile, while calling on all Guyanese to stand together during this period of national mourning and to never abandon those affected by the tragedy, President Ali urged citizens to unite in support of the survivors and bereaved families. “It is in that spirit that I ask every Guyanese to stand together as one people. Let this, therefore, be our declaration: We are Guyanese. We do not abandon our own. We rise from the ashes of sorrow with arms wide open. We carry the memory of every soul lost, not as a weight that crushes, but as a light that guides us towards a future forged in kindness, unity, and love.”