While much of the attention in the aftermath of the abominable September 11 attacks has been focused on the scale of the devastation in the US and the loss of life there we must not lose sight of the fact that at least 22 Guyanese and perhaps more died in this disaster.

There may be others who were illegally in the US and who perished and whose families for reasons of protecting their status in America are unwilling to come forward.

The hundreds of thousands who have fled this land over the last thirty to forty years have often done so because of the great despair and disconsolation at the political morass the country has found itself in, little hope for change, few opportunities and the migration pull of family members.

To be incinerated or blown to bits in this horrific act of terrorism is the saddest end possible. Many of the Guyanese trying to make it big in the land of opportunity were cut down in their prime. Kris Romeo Bishundat, a navy information systems technician at the Pentagon was 23, Anett Dataram was a young accountant preparing to be married. Other young Guyanese cut down in this insidious attack include former national middle order batsman Nizam Hafiz and Shivonne Mentis.

For a small country with a resident population of around 750,000 and an emigre community of around 500,000 the loss suffered in the US attacks is not insignificant. When last were so many Guyanese killed in a single event be it here or abroad?

While they have migrated with the intention of living in the US and swearing allegiance to that country they are nonetheless Guyanese to the core. Those bereaved families should be given as much help as is possible by our mission in New York and our embassy in Washington. From all accounts Ambassador Ishmael and his staff are doing their utmost to glean information on the fate of the missing and to help their families through the legal process that follows.

The Guyana Government should certainly avail itself of whatever assistance it can provide to Guyanese here who would like to be with their families during this traumatic period. A donation should be made by the government to some New York-based fund managed by Guyanese groups there to provide assistance to families who have lost breadwinners in the disaster. New York can be an unfriendly and daunting place to live under the best of circumstances. In the face of the disaster and with winter approaching many of these families will require extra help.

It is easy to forget sometimes that the umbilical link that Guyanese have with their homeland is never severed. They send remittances, visit and remain in close touch often with a hankering for returning here permanently. As a government and a nation we must do more to establish official links with these communities as other countries do with their emigre groups. It not only provides the basis for responding to disasters and answering the queries of anxious relatives here but it also opens up opportunities for those abroad to contribute to development here and to strengthen that bond.

While there are many Guyanese groups in the major metropolises of the north, more should be done to create a formal mechanism through which they interact with the home country. Given the high proportion of Guyanese living outside of Guyana there will come a day when the capital they exercise control over could be put to their benefit while at the same time developing Guyana. Of course, we have to get our act together first.