Water, light for vulnerable citizens

As Barbadians faced another day of inconsistent electricity and water supply today, bottled water, LED lanterns and a hotline are to be provided to more than 600 households of vulnerable people on an official list, the Government said.

The aid follows an emergency meeting of the Vulnerable Persons Committee of the Ministry of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs to assess the needs of vulnerable people identified on the list.

The ministry has collaborated with the Barbados Water Authority and a bottled water producer, Glacial Ice, to provide drinking water to the 619 households identified on the list. LED lanterns will also be supplied.

People with disabilities and the elderly who are living alone with no support mechanism are classified as vulnerable, verified in each case by social workers in the field.

A ministry hotline will be open to those who consider themselves vulnerable as well as members of the public who may be aware of vulnerable people, the ministry added.

The hotline will be in operation from Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day on telephone number 535-1612. Each request will be verified by social service agency representatives, the Government said.

The information is be passed on to the Ministry of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs so that necessary assistance can be coordinated, it added.