But the problems in the river valley are decidedly more profound than a well meant barbecue on Saturday can solve. The flood has not only been affecting property and livestock but throughout the Belize River Valley the water which is now contaminated has been causing health problems especially to those who remain on the river bank. Today Jacqueline Godwin and cameraman Alex Ellis joined the Belize National Coast Guard, the Belize Defence Force, the Belize Disaster Rescue Team and the Ministry of Health as they ventured out into the flooded communities to provide medical care to those in need.

Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
One thing we do know for sure and that is that it will take a long time before the flood waters to go down. But for the villagers who have decided to stay on the banks of the Belize River they still do not believe it is time for them to leave, even though they tell us the water continues to rise.

As our boat passed through Davis Bank Village we came upon this sixty two year old resident. The man told the nurse Yvonne Haylock that he refused to move to higher ground because he stayed behind to protect the property. According to the man for fifteen days he has been wading through the high water.

Yvonne Haylock, Nurse - Central Health Region
“The main thing is fungus between his toes and I advised him to try and see how he can stay out of the water. Apparently he is working there for somebody and he didn’t have on any boots, actually the boots would be covered by now, but we left with him a tube of anti-fungal cream that will heal the condition, especially if he stays out of the water. The only thing we can do is encourage him, once he is out of the water, to take a clean bath because the house where he stays is dry but he is moving around and he has his dogs with him and he is barefoot. We encouraged him to stay out of the water as much as possible. He admits the water isn’t clean because they are dead animals and that he is going to use the cream on his toes once he keeps himself clean.”

As we travelled further north and into Maypen Village we noticed that the flood waters have now surrounded every home in the community. In this house alone we found fourteen people who have decided to remain in their village.

Zane Bradley, Inspector - Public Health
“Well my concern is more for the kids, we just can’t seem to get them out of the water and they attain a lot of fungi and that is a major concern at this point.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
We’re at this house where there are 14 people inside, there seems to be a concern with the water as water now surrounds the vat. That is the only water supply I would imagine these people have at this time.

Zane Bradley,
“Along with my team I brought some tablets used to disinfect the water to make it safe for drinking,”

Jacqueline Godwin,
This water will not go down anytime soon. Do you believe these people should be out here?

Zane Bradley,
“I believe they should be evacuated as soon as possible.”

Rhoda Gill, Logistic Administrator – BDART
“A lot of them don’t have drinking water. If they’ve been standing in water or they’ve been getting in water, they could get fungus. If they don’t know how to swim, small children jumping in and not knowing that it is a deep area they could start drowning or whatever. So aside from the health issues it will be more of a safety issue in terms of getting them out of the water and keeping them away from the strong currents and stuff like that.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
Do you believe that they should still be out here or they should be seeking higher ground?

Lisa Bevans, Nurse Volunteer – BDART
“Two of the children have upper respiratory tract infection. They only have a little stuffiness but they do not have any cough. Otherwise they are not having ant fever or anything but it is just the fungus infection. All three have it.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
What do they say about the adults who are now rounding their cattle?

Lisa Bevans,
“In terms of their health, they are quire healthy except for the fungal infection again of the feet and according to the adult that is there she is saying it is worse than the children, far worse than the children’s feet. Otherwise they are okay.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
How many people are left here in Maypen?

Olivia Moody, Chairlady – Maypen
“We only have two families that went out so probably we have about 30.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
This is very worrisome, no one else wants to leave?

Olivia Moody,
“No because in Keith the water was just like this.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
Yeah bur the thing is the water is contaminated, you guys are going to run into problems with food supply, water supply.

Olivia Moody,
“Well I try my best because Mr. Edmund told me to try my best to try and get them out. You noticed me and you were on the river already. They don’t want to leave.”

According to Maypen Village Chairlady Olivia Moody since Monday night the water level has risen at least two more inches.

Olivia Moody,
“But I have my drum right there, that’s my marker. I mark it everyday, every day a little little and so I know it is rising.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
And if it continues you plan to move?

Olivia Moody,
“Well my kids them, only me because as the Chairlady I will try and fight along and see what I could get done or what I could advise them to do. So I make up my mind to fight along with them.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
We noticed a lot of cattle in the water, are they just going to stay there and they are going to take that as a loss, what are they going to do?

Olivia Moody,
“Trying to take as much as they can. We have a crowd of men working together. They are working along together.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
Anyone of you guys have gotten sick yet?

Shereth Moody,
“No mam, only the old man who I told you had chills two night ago.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
What is it like though because you guys look like you don’t want to move? What is it like as you see this water getting even higher?

Shereth Moody,
“I don’t know what to say. For Mitch water I stayed here, only me and those three children so I feel like I could pass this one at the same spot.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
And how high the water got then?

Shereth Moody,
“It was at three steps by the kitchen and it hasn’t reached there as yet. We are already used to this mud and water because Keith water was higher than this.”

Before we left Sherreth Moody and her family she did promise that if the water does get any higher they would move out. While some livestock have been taken to higher ground we also saw a number of animals including cows, horses and dogs that are now trapped in the rising water. The flood waters have also brought every possible kind of creature seeking dry ground like this tarantula that came up to our boat.

The flood has also started to affect the lower end of Flowers Bank Village. Nine year old Vince Robinson had to be brought onboard so the medical team could treat a sore that had become infected due to the contaminated water

Eleanor Mitchell, Resident - Flowers Bank Village
“My grandson is complaining that his foot itches and in searched his foot and it is having itch. It is rising still.”

Eleanor Mitchell and her family have also been trying to save what is left of their crops especially the rice from the fields that have not yet flooded..

Eleanor Mitchell,
“The crops are being affected because some of the rice is under water and they are going to spoil. We can’t get them in.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
And what you’ve been able to salvage, I notice you’re drying it out here in your front yard?

Eleanor Mitchell,
“Well we reap those and put them in the house until the little sun comes out and then we put them out to get dry because if it stays in the house right there they will stay moist and it will start growing again.”

The teams will continue to visit the affected communities and it is envisioned that this will require a sustained effort and monitoring to suppress major outbreaks of illness.