By RHONDOR DOWLAT Friday, August 20 2010

COUVA NORTH MP Ramona Ramdial yesterday sent a team to assess the situation at the Government-designate shelter at the Waterloo High School following reports that meals were not being sent to its residents.

An official from Ramdial’s office said she is looking into the situation and will give an update today.

Newsday understands all State officials despatched to the shelter, including the TT Red Cross and the Office of Disaster Preparedness Management (ODPM), have all gone. Left to man the shelter was a lone official from the Adventist Development Relief Agency (ADRA), which is a non-governmental body. Members of the TT Defence Force only report at the shelter at nights and leave at the break of dawn.

Residents at the shelter also said they were frequently visited by the councillor for the area, Sandra Abdool, but claimed that for over a week “they have not seen or heard from her”.

When Newsday attempted to call Abdool on her cellphone, her assistant answered and said the councillor was in Port-of-Spain. However, Abdool’s assistant promised to “get the message on to her”.

On Wednesday, Local Government Minister Chandresh Sharma was informed of the situation and promised to look into the matter.

Last Thursday, Friday and over the weekend, according to a source, about four families, who sort refuge at the shelter following the severe flooding over two weeks ago, were not provided with any meals, juice and tea/coffee.

As a result, they were forced to eat crix biscuits and drink bottled water, which were donated to the shelter by concerned citizens.

Yesterday, no food was delivered to the shelter but residents there “helped” themselves to cooking a meal of curried potato, chicken and rice. The ingredients they used were from what was donated by concerned citizens. A ring stove and an iron pot was also donated to the shelter, which they used to cook their meal.