More than $122 million in financial assistance has been provided to families and survivors affected by the deadly MV Barima disaster, President Dr. Irfaan Ali announced Monday.
During a press conference at the Office of the President, Ali said $122.35 million has so far been distributed to families of those who died, survivors and relatives of persons who remain missing following the July 18 sinking.
The assistance is being coordinated through the Government’s HEART Initiative: Hope, Empathy, Aid, Resilience and Trust, which was established after the tragedy to coordinate financial, psychological, social, legal and other forms of support.
The Guyanese Leader said more than 750 affected persons, including children, parents and grandparents across Guyana’s 10 administrative regions, are now covered under the support structure.
“So far, financial assistance totalling $122.35 million has been provided [to] the families of deceased persons, survivors, and families of missing persons,” the President disclosed.
The payments are part of a wider package of interventions and have not been classified by the Government as compensation for the disaster.
When President Ali established HEART in July, he explicitly said financial assistance provided through the programme should not be interpreted as compensation, describing it instead as sustained support for people dealing with loss and trauma.
HEART was established to provide humanitarian aid, psychosocial and trauma counselling, social services and spiritual support. The President said on Monday that the national registry of persons affected by the tragedy is now 99 per cent complete, while a needs assessment examining immediate, medium- and long-term requirements is also 99 per cent completed.
According to the President, the Ministry of Housing has approved 20 affected families for land and turnkey homes, with the package valued at approximately $73.99 million.
Social workers and psychologists have also been assigned to affected families, while higher-level trauma interventions remain active.
Children affected by the disaster are receiving assistance with returning to school and other educational needs, while authorities are helping families replace important documents through agencies including the Guyana Elections Commission, Guyana Revenue Authority and Guyana Police Force.
Legal assistance is also being offered in areas including probate, estate administration, guardianship, immigration matters and the recovery of documentation.
Ali said a legal team has begun working collectively and individually with families to advise them on their rights and to determine how immediate, medium- and long-term financial and material assistance can be structured, particularly in cases involving children.
The HEART Initiative has established regional support mechanisms involving social workers, therapists and psychologists, with the Government saying the programme is designed to remain in place beyond the immediate aftermath of the disaster.
The MV Barima sank on the night of July 18, 2026, while travelling to Port Kaituma in Region One.
Authorities eventually confirmed 73 deaths, while 76 passengers and crew members were rescued. Another 30 persons remained unaccounted for when the active search and recovery operation formally ended in August.
