By ALEXANDER BRUZUAL Thursday, December 25 2008

PRAYERS for the Christmas miracle of a new home remained unanswered yesterday for four families of Upper Freedom Street, Cocorite, who were displaced by landslides on Saturday last.

The families will wish each other a Merry Christmas Day, today, in a small room at the Bourg Mulatresse Seventh Day Adventist Church in Lower Santa Cruz, where they have been staying after their homes were destroyed in land slips following heavy rainfall.

Some of the displaced persons said they were told they would only be in the shelter for three days and were assured they would be moved into individual apartments by Monday. However, the four families, which comprise eight adults and ten children, remained together in cramped conditions in the room.

“Nothing is happening. All we are hearing is a lot of talk that they are moving us, but we are seeing no action. The children here are absolutely frustrated and bored out of their minds. They are begging for a home. One of them even said they hoped Santa could bring them a new house so things could go back to normal. It is frustrating and heartbreaking,” said one of the victims.

Peter Reynos said Christmas would not be the same at the shelter because there was no joyous feeling among the families stuck there. “It feels like a confinement camp, we are just here and nobody cares. They haven’t sent any Christmas food or anything and we have no radio, tv or anything to entertain ourselves,” Reynos said.

“I have all my things in my house in Cocorite still, because the ODPM told us to take only our clothes. So all our fridges; TVs; stoves; everything is just there for anyone to take. We all want a place to stay, and we want it now,” Reynos said.

Carl Bonald, an official from the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) had said earlier that the families could not return to Freedom Street, as the land slips had made the entire area unsafe for habitat. The Minister of Social Development, Dr Amery Browne had also said that his ministry was working with the Ministry of Planning, Housing and the Environment to locate rental units for the families. However despite several calls throughout yesterday afternoon, Newsday was unable to contact an official at the Ministry of Social Development.