First Lady expresses sorrow over MV Barima tragedy

July 22 2026

First Lady Arya Ali has expressed profound sadness following the tragic capsizing of the MV Barima, extending her prayers and support to the passengers, crew members and families affected by the disaster.

In a heartfelt statement posted to her official page the First Lady said:

“The capsizing of the MV Barima has left us all standing on the shore of grief, watching and waiting for faces that may never return to us. Too many, far too many, have already been lost.

My heart aches with the weight of this sorrow. To the mothers who have lost their children, and to those still longing to see the faces of their offspring, I see you. I feel your pain. I share your anxiety. To the little ones who survived this terrible ordeal and to, I offer a quiet prayer and wishes for healing.

We give thanks for every person rescued. But we also bow our heads for those who did not make it. May their names be carried gently on the tide of our remembrance. And to the families still waiting, still watching I send you my love and concern.

Let us hold one another in comfort and support. Let us be the anchor for those whose lives have been turned asunder. And let us continue to pray, not only for rescue and recovery, but for the strength to carry whatever news may come.

May God shelter the rescuers, bless the lost, and cradle the broken hearts of every mother, every child, every man, every woman, and every family still hoping, still expectant.”

Arya Ali
First Lady of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana