A girl pulls her case to the evacuation centre at the Roseau River First Nation to be transported to Winnipeg, Manitoba on April 24, 2011. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods
December 13, 2013 - 8:07 AM
WINNIPEG - The Red Cross is going to be responsible for the care of 2,000 flood evacuees in Manitoba.
The agency has signed a formal agreement to oversee aid for aboriginal evacuees who have been displaced since the 2011 flood.
The Red Cross takes over from the Manitoba Association of Native Firefighters, which is being audited by Ottawa following accusations of squandering money and hiring relatives.
In the meantime, the cost of caring for the long-term evacuees continues to rise by $1.5 million a month.
The tab for their food and shelter is now hovering at $90 million.
The federal government says the transfer of responsibility to the Red Cross should be complete by February.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2013