Education and healthcare services restored

Staff Reporter

Muscat, Oct 12

The governorates of North and South Al Batinah are witnessing hard work to restore normal life and repair the damage to the infrastructure and the citizens’ houses and properties following the latest tropical cyclone.

The civil and military sectors are coordinating their efforts to get the mission done successfully.

The Ministry of Social Development continues to assess the damage and count those who were affected by the tropical cyclone in the wilayats of Al Khabourah and Al Suwaiq, while the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources is assessing the damage at the agriculture and livestock sectors.

Restoration of basic services is progressing well and the healthcare services have been fully restored. The schools in the wilayats of Al Suwaiq and Al Khabourah are now ready to reopen on Sunday while all the evacuation centres in Al Suwaiq were closed down with some families provided with temporary accommodation in Suhar.

In the Wilayat of Al Khabourah, only one evacuation centre has remained, accommodating 157 people of 21 families.

In comments to Oman Arabic, sister publication of the Observer, Shaikh Saif bin Hamyar al Shehi, Governor of North Al Batinah, said: “Life has begun to come back to normal in the wilayats of North Al Batinah that have been affected by the tropical cyclone Shaheen. All the government authorities are making great, non-stop and coordinated efforts to restore services and a big progress has been achieved in this regard so far. Education and healthcare services have been fully restored in the wilayats of Al Khabourah and Al Suwaiq’’, The governor affirmed that the tropical storm has left a great damage in the wilayats of Al Khabourah and Al Suwaiq which is why it will take time to restore the services back to the pre-cyclone level, affirming that the work is going on in full swing. The Civil Defence and Ambulance Authority, alongside the other state departments, is contributing to the recovery efforts by repairing the damage, opening roads and removing rocks and debris.