UNHCR unshaken by logistical adversities

IN SPITE OF LOGISTICAL NIGHTMARES, the Guyana office of the United Nations
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) distributed more than 3000 food hampers at the cost of
some G$3M to Barima/Waini (Region One) residents and refuges living there last year,
according to its local head, Ms. Suenanica de Rozario.
de Rozario in an exclusive interview with www.aroundtheregions.com said while the challenges
faced by her organisation are not unique, she was floored by the transportation costs.
“Logistics is one of the biggest challenges that we face, and we are sure that this is a common
challenge faced by many agencies, especially in terms of the cost in movements, for example,
food hampers,” the acting head said.
The cost of each food hamper is already prohibitive and when the price for transportation is
added, it can become bruising on the morale.
“To send food hampers out of the region it requires huge amount of money, because we are a
humanitarian agency so the logistic and supply chain is definitely one of the greatest challenges
that we face,” she said.
Costs skyrocket because UNHCR, as a policy, also caters for residents in host communities when
distributing care packages to refugees, de Rozario explained during the interview.
“If we are distributing food hampers to a particular area, a certain amount of that food hampers
will be allocated for the people of that area as well. So, it is not that we go into an area and say
that this is just for refugees and migrants, but we take into account everyone who is in that area
as well, the acting UNHCR head revealed.
The UN agency also donated some newly-acquired housing units in the fight against the global
pandemic to the Regional Health Services (RHS) of the health ministry of Region One through
the Civil Defense Commission (CDC), de Rozario said.
“We also provided housing units to the RHO, so basically, these housing units were obtained as
complementary COVID 19 quarantine facilities, so you will see these housing units being put up.

These housing units were donated to CDC. The CDC will be in charge of putting them up where
the need arises,” she explained.
The COVID-19 pandemic and food shortage in the Region have proven monumental challenges
to her local organisation, de Rozario admitted, but pledged to continue efforts to fulfil the UN
agency’s global mandate
“The challenges are still here and we work together with civil society organisations and the
Government to overcome these challenges. Last year we had the (outbreak of the)
COVID19 pandemic, which is still continuing, and this year we have the floods. So, in
terms of challenges, they continue to come. I can tell you that I am proud of our team, and I
am proud of the work that we have done together with the government and civil society
organisations to respond to the challenges,” de Rozario, the UNHCR acting head of the
Guyana office, said.