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GUYANA, SOUTH AMERICA, January 27, 2005: Swamini Mayatitananda Saraswati, or Mother Maya, formerly Maya Tiwari, calls for help for victims of extraordinary flooding in her home country of Guyana, which is 35% Hindu. Click “source” above to see how you can help.



According to a press report, “The U.S. government is rushing relief supplies to Guyana, the U.S. ambassador said Saturday, after heavy rains and flooding that have killed at least six people and displaced thousands of others. The Defense Force, meanwhile, was standing by to evacuate as many as 20,000 people from towns east of the capital, Georgetown, said Brig. Gen. Edward Collins, the army chief. More than 40 inches of rain have fallen in the former British colony since Dec. 26, with more than 27 inches this month. About 8 inches is normal for January. President Bharrat Jagdeo has said the floods have affected more than half the population of 750,000. Most Guyanese live on the low-lying coast. He has appealed to the U.S. Southern Command to have U.S. troops bring in power generators and small boats. Waters were rising in several towns, suggesting two dams east of Georgetown were spilling over, officials said. Another dam northwest of the capital also was in danger of bursting. The heaviest rains in a century already have forced thousands of people from homes in Georgetown and coastal villages. Most are staying with friends or relatives, though at least 5,000 are sheltering in schools, churches and public buildings.”

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