Kadiatu Bangura lost her husband and narrowly escaped with her four children the August 14 disaster at Kamayama in the west of Freetown. She is now surviving on the kindness of friends and support from the World Food Programme (WFP) and other humanitarian partners.
Kadiatu said, “I grabbed my four-month old daughter and three-year old son, and the other two older children were running behind to escape the disaster. Many others were not so lucky to survive,” she said.
“This is an immense tragedy for the government and people of Sierra Leone, who have already endured so much hardship, including the Ebola outbreak,” says United Nation’s World Food Programe Country Director Housainou Taal. “WFP and our partners are doing our utmost to ensure that lifesaving assistance is delivered as quickly as possible to those who need it the most,” he said.
Overall, roughly 7,500 people will receive WFP assistance including rescue workers and families hosting the mudslide survivors and those in temporal holding centres, according to Office of National Security Response Officer, Vandy Rogers.
He said ONS and partners will provide meals on daily basis for disaster victims at Old School, Juba Barracks and Kaningo until they are relocated.
The most vulnerable which includes pregnant and nursing women and small children under -five will also receive specialized, nutrient-packed food supplements provided by WFP and other partners.
Like many other survivors, Kadiatu is now destitute. “We have nothing left, no place to live, no clothes except for handouts we receive from Government and NGOs”.
WFP is also supporting the registration pillar lead Ministry of Social Welfare to digitalize beneficiary registration and verify residents with support from local authorities and run a wireless internet facility at Juba and Old School command centre.
The Director of Agriculture A.R. Sankoh and Ahmed Sannoh Chief of Staff office of National Security said the disaster victims need food to sustain themselves and appealed to the government to provide support.
SB/12/9/17
By Saidu Bah
Awoko Wednesday September 13, 2017.
Ebola Recovery
Sierra Leone Life Coach 