Health at risk in Tizimín: flies and vermin sprout due to floods

Almost a week after the passage of tropical cyclone Helene two communities in Tizimín continue to be in the water and struggling, with the resulting health risks.

For four years, around 40 families from the Santa María, Santa Rosa, and Anexas communities have not experienced a situation similar to what they are experiencing today.

The water in some residential lots reached a height of 1.5 meters; with it, the toilets, kitchens, and even the chicken coops disappeared.

The worst of the situation is just beginning to affect the outbreak of mosquitos and flies. Leeches, earthworms, snakes, and crocodiles come out of their burrows.

In the community of Santa María, there are four waterholes, and half the town is underwater. According to the inhabitants, 20 families are going through this situation and have looked for ways to secure their poultry since their cages are in the water.

Several streets are blocked, forcing children to cross neighbors’ yards to get to school and avoid passing through flooded areas.

In the community, crocodiles are beginning to approach homes to the point that some children use them as pets because they tie a rope around their necks and walk around the town; where they caught three reptiles this week and took them to the El Cuyo estuary.

The neighbors indicate that there are even larger lizards so they try to keep their houses closed.

On Sunday they had a visit from government officials, but they do not know what agency they are from. They only told them that they could not solve the problem at this time and that they had to wait until January.

Others help themselves with caches and tubs to cross the flood zones and point out that thanks to the drainage equipment and a water channel they made, the level has lowered.

According to what they were told by the municipal authorities, these days health personnel would arrive to fumigate to reduce the mosquito problem.

TYT Newsroom

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