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Sierra Leone: ROK Government to Offer Landslides-Hit Sierra Leone US$300,000 in Humanitarian Assistance

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Source: Government of the Republic of Korea
Country: Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone

  1. The government of the Republic of Korea will provide humanitarian assistance worth 300,000 US dollars to Sierra Leone, which sustained massive damage from landslides caused by heavy rains in the country’s capital of Freetown on August 14.

    • The damage came amid the efforts of Sierra Leone to recover from the Ebola crisis since its end in March 2016. The heavy rains and the landslides are known to have incurred considerable damage to people and property, leaving more than 350 dead, over 600 missing and more than 2,000 displaced.
  2. The assistance from the ROK, following the one from the country in 2014 over the Ebola crisis, is expected to help those in Sierra Leone in distress after the natural disasters with their efforts to restore stability in their lives as well as with the recovery work in the affected areas.

  3. Going forward, the government of the ROK, a responsible middle-power country of the international community, will continue to step up humanitarian diplomacy aimed to help natural disaster-affected countries and people with their recovery efforts.

*unofficial translation


Sierra Leone: Floods and landslides in Sierra Leone: Belgium participates in the international assistance effort

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Source: Government of Belgium
Country: Belgium, Sierra Leone

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders announces that a Disaster Victim Identification Team (DVI) of the Federal Police will be sent to Sierra Leone to help identify the deceased in the dramatic floods and landslides. This disaster caused the death of more than 400 people. The Belgian team will be assisted, on site, by a consular agent dispatched by the FPS Foreign Affairs.

The Government of Sierra Leone had requested international assistance to help rescuing and identifying the victims of this natural disaster. By solidarity with this country, Belgium has decided to respond positively to its call.

Minister Reynders also welcomes the selection of a B-Fast (Belgian First Aid and Support Team) volunteer as a member of the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) mission in Sierra Leone.

Sierra Leone: Inondations et glissements de terrain en Sierra Leone : la Belgique participe à l’assistance internationale

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Source: Government of Belgium
Country: Belgium, Sierra Leone

Le Vice-Premier Ministre et Ministre des Affaires étrangères Didier Reynders annonce l’envoi d’une équipe de la Division d’identification des victimes (DVI) de la Police Fédérale en Sierra Leone afin d’aider à l'identification des personnes décédées à la suite des dramatiques inondations et glissements de terrain. Cette catastrophe a causé la mort de plus de 400 personnes. L’équipe belge pourra bénéficier sur place de l’assistance d’un collaborateur consulaire des Affaires étrangères.

Le Gouvernement de la Sierra Leone avait demandé l'assistance internationale pour l'aider à secourir et à identifier les victimes de cette catastrophe naturelle. En guise de solidarité avec ce pays, la Belgique a décidé de répondre positivement à cet appel.

Le Ministre Reynders se réjouit également de la sélection d’un volontaire de B-Fast (Belgian First Aid and Support Team) comme membre de la mission des Nations unies chargée de l'évaluation et de la coordination en cas de catastrophe (UNDAC) en Sierra Leone.

Sierra Leone: Delivering emergency relief to communities impacted by Sierra Leone mudslide

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Source: Trócaire
Country: Sierra Leone

Michael Solis

Trócaire is providing 'dignity kits' to people from the communities hit by a devastating mudslide in Sierra Leone. At least 500 people are known to have died, while many more are still unaccounted for.

Last Monday, 14 August, a mudslide swept through hillside communities in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

The slopes of Mount Sugar Loaf above Freetown have suffered years of deforestation. That, coupled with recent heavy rains, sent the mudslide speeding down the mountain.

Initial reports estimated that 300 people had been killed, that number has risen to 500 one week later, and is likely to rise further again as the search for the missing continues.

One of our staff at the Trócaire office in Freetown, Al Haji Jalloh, is from one of the communities affected. 15 members of his family lost their lives.

Responding to immediate needs

Trócaire is doing what it can to meet the immediate needs of the people worst affected by the mudslide.

We have begun distributing 'dignity kits', which include basic hygiene products such as soap, towels, toothpaste, toothbrushes, hand sanitiser, sanitary towels, and underwear, as well as household items including a plastic bucket, kettle, torch and plastic plates and cups.

Many thousands of people have lost not only all of their possessions, but also their homes. It is estimated that 20,000 people have been displaced by the event, 5,000 of whom are children. Camps for the internally displaced have been set up to house them until a more permanent solution can be organised.

There are also growing fears that there may be a cholera outbreak as water points are likely to have been contaminated.

We will continue to monitor the situation, and work with our partners to assist those who have lost everything because of this tragic event.

Sierra Leone: Sierra Leone: Flood and landslide Situation Report No.4, 21 August 2017

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Source: UN Children's Fund
Country: Sierra Leone

Highlights

Response operations continued throughout the weekend. Based on adjusted figures, the Office of National Security has reported that, as of 20 August 2017, the total number of registered people affected by the floods and landslides stands at 5,905 in over six communities (Culvert, Dwarzark, Kamayamah, Kanikay, Kaninko and Regent).

Through further assessments, it was determined that the earlier reported “crack” at the opposite side of the mountain range that fed the landslide in Regent is not a “crack” but it’s a flow of debris from the original landslide and thus is not presenting imminent risks.

To support the United Nations response, a United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team has been deployed to Sierra Leone. The team will assist with coordination, information management and needs assessment activities. In the meantime, UNICEF is continuing to support the Government of Sierra Leone in ensuring the provision of WASH services, infection prevention and control materials, and essential medicines at the temporary displacement centres and in health facilities to prevent and mitigate the propagation of diseases, such as cholera. UNICEF also continued to support affected children, including provision of psychosocial support and identification of child protection concerns. As of 20 August, supplies with a total value of US$179,024 have been distributed to implementing partners to support affected communities.

Democratic Republic of the Congo: West and Central Africa: Weekly Regional Humanitarian Snapshot (15 - 21 August 2017)

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Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Country: Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

NEW CLASHES IN BRIA, KAGA BANDORO IMPEDE AID

Fighting between armed groups erupted on 16 August in Bria, the capital of Haute-Kotto prefecture, in the central part of the country. The clashes, which lasted until 19 August, led to several people being killed and wounded, and houses burnt and destroyed. The scale of fighting prevented humanitarian actors from carrying out activities. Clashes also erupted in Kaga Bandoro area, center-west of the country, in which a dozen people lost their lives according to the local police.

NIGERIA

ATTACKS TARGETING CIVILIANS AND IDPS

Security and safety concerns continue to mount across the three north-eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, with more than 30 people killed and nearly 100 wounded in attacks targeting return communities, IDP camps and civilian areas in the last week. On 15 August in Konduga LGA, near Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, a suicide attack killed 27 people and wounded 83.

SIERRA LEONE

DEATH TOLL FROM MUDSLIDE NEARS 500

Freetown authorities confirmed that nearly 500 persons lost their lives in the devastating landslide that hit Sierra Leone’s capital city on 14 August. Around 600 people remain missing, with officials warning of the risk of further mudslides. About 6,000 people are directly affected, amongst which half are currently displaced, staying mostly in host families. Cholera prevention is among priorities as some water sources may be affected. The humanitarian response has increased with support now in place in each sector and a UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team on the ground.

DR CONGO

LANDSLIDE KILLS 150 IN ITURI

During the night of 15-16 August, a landslide swept through Tora, a fishing village on the banks of Lake Albert in north-eastern Ituri province. A rapid assessment conducted by provincial authorities and MONUSCO confirmed at least 150 dead under the rubble, the hospitalization of 8 seriously injured victims at Tchomia health center, and the destruction of 70 houses. The ICRC has provided material and financial support to the local Red Cross for the excavation of corpses.

CHOLERA EPIDEMIC DECLARED IN SOUTH KIVU

On 18 August, a cholera epidemic was officially declared in the eastern province of South Kivu. In 2017 so far, the province has recorded more than 2,700 cases. Other parts of the country are also affected by cholera outbreaks. Last week, three health zones of the western Kwilu province reported some 100 cases and 16 deaths.

CHAD

NEW ARRIVALS OF IDPS TO THE WESTERN LAC REGION

Following an alert by local authorities, humanitarian partners have confirmed the arrival since 6 August of an estimated 600 people in Dar-al-Amin site close to Dar-esSalam refugee camp in the Lac region, near Lake Chad. These people are reportedly from Chadian nomadic communities coming from Niger, where they settled several decades ago

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre: Aperçu humanitaire hebdomadaire (15 – 21 août 2017)

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Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Country: Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone

RÉPUBLIQUE CENTRAFRICAINE

NOUVEAUX AFFRONTEMENTS À BRIA, KAGA BANDORO, ENTRAVENT L’AIDE

Des combats entre des groupes armés ont éclaté le 16 août à Bria, la capitale de la préfecture de la Haute-Kotto, dans la partie centrale du pays. Les affrontements, qui ont duré jusqu'au 19 août, ont fait plusieurs morts et blessés, et des maisons brûlées et détruites.
L'ampleur des combats a empêché les acteurs humanitaires de mener leurs activités.
Des affrontements ont également éclaté dans la région de Kaga Bandoro, au centre-ouest du pays, où une douzaine de personnes ont perdu la vie selon la gendarmerie locale.

NIGERIA

ATTAQUES CONTRE LES CIVILS ET PDI EN AUGMENTATION

Les préoccupations sécuritaires continuent de croître dans les trois États de l'Adamawa, de Borno et de Yobe, au nord-est, avec plus de 30 personnes tuées et près de 100 blessés dans des attaques la semaine dernière visant des communautés de retournés, des camps de personnes déplacées et des habitations. Le 15 août à Konduga, près de Maiduguri, la capitale de l'État de Borno, une attaque suicide a tué 27 personnes et en a blessé 83.

SIERRA LEONE

PRÈS DE 500 MORTS SUITE AU GLISSEMENT DE TERRAIN

Les autorités Sierra Léonaises ont confirmé que près de 500 personnes ont perdu leur vie dans les coulées de boue dévastatrices qui ont frappé la capitale, Freetown, le 14 août, suite à un glissement de terrain. Environ 600 personnes sont encore portées disparues alors que le risque de nouveaux glissements de terrains reste bien réel. Environ 6 000 personnes ont été directement touchées, parmi lesquelles, la moitié sont actuellement déplacées, logeant principalement dans des familles d'accueil. La prévention du choléra est parmi les priorités en termes de secours car certaines sources d'eau pourraient être affectées. Les secours se sont accrus avec un appui de chaque secteur et une équipe de l'ONU pour l'évaluation et la coordination des catastrophes (UNDAC) sur le terrain.

RD CONGO

UN GLISSEMENT DE TERRAIN TUE PRÉS DE 200 PERSONNES

Dans la nuit du 15 au 16 août, un glissement de terrain a balayé Tora, un village de pêcheurs sur les rives du lac Albert, dans la province de l'Ituri, au nord-est. Une évaluation rapide menée par les autorités provinciales et la MONUSCO a confirmé au moins 150 corps sous les décombres, l'hospitalisation de 8 victimes gravement blessées au centre de santé de Tchomia et la destruction de 70 maisons. Le CICR a fourni un soutien matériel et financier à la Croix-Rouge locale pour l'excavation des corps.

L’ÉPIDÉMIE DE CHOLÉRA DÉCLARÉE AU SUD-KIVU

Le 18 août, une épidémie de choléra a été officiellement déclarée dans la province orientale du Sud-Kivu. Depuis le début de 2017, la province a enregistré plus de 2 700 cas.
D'autres parties du pays sont également touchées par des épidémies de choléra.
La semaine dernière, trois zones sanitaires de la province du Kwilu, à l‘ouest, ont annoncé environ 100 cas et 16 décès.

TCHAD

NOUVELLE ARRIVÉE DE DÉPLACÉS DANS LA REGION DU LAC

Suite à l’alerte des autorités locales, les partenaires humanitaires ont confirmé l'arrivée, depuis le 6 août dernier, d'environ 600 personnes sur le site de Dar-al-Amin, près du camp de réfugiés de Dar-es-Salam, dans la région du Lac, près du lac Tchad. Ces personnes proviennent de communautés nomades Tchadiennes venant du Niger, où elles s’étaient installées il y a plusieurs décennies.

Sierra Leone: Sierra Leone: Floods and landslides (DG ECHO, Office for National Security, OCHA) (ECHO Daily Flash of 22 August 2017)

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Source: European Commission's Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations
Country: Sierra Leone

◾Eight days after the fatal floods and landslides in the Freetown area, heavy rainfall continues.

◾The first registration of the affected population has been completed. 5 905 people have been directly affected, of whom 49% are women and girls. So far, 493 deaths have been reported, with 600 people still not accounted for.

◾At this stage, the main emergency needs of the affected population are being addressed, including for instance access to safe drinking water, health assistance to the injured, distribution of non-food items. The prevention of water-borne diseases is a priority, as well as the relocation of displaced people from the West valley, a high-risk area exposed to floods and landslides.


Sierra Leone: Sierra Leone: Flood and landslide Situation Report No.3, 18 August 2017

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Source: UN Children's Fund
Country: Sierra Leone

Highlights

Based on data from the Office of National Security, the total number of registered people affected by the floods and landslides stands at 6,714, as at 18 August 2017. With the registration now closed, the number of affected should stabilize, allowing for better planning and assessment of needs to support the affected communities.

While the recovery of bodies and response efforts to the affected communities continues, the relocation of households residing in disaster prone areas has commenced. UNICEF is supporting the Government of Sierra Leone by ensuring the provision of WASH services, infection prevention and control materials, and essential medicines at the temporary displacement centres and in health facilities to prevent and mitigate the propagation of diseases, such as cholera. Priorities for UNICEF also include support to affected children, including provision of psychosocial support and identification of child protection concerns.

Sierra Leone: Public health situation needs careful attention in Sierra Leone

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Source: Action Against Hunger USA
Country: Sierra Leone

Last week, flash floods killed over 490 people in Freetown with a high number of people still missing and affected number of people rising to 6000. Considering the critical sanitary conditions, public health situation of those affected is highly endangered. Action Against Hunger delivers safe drinking water and intervenes to prevent spreading of diseases amongst the affected communities.

“The most urgent and immediate needs are safe drinking water, access to sanitation facilities, shelter, medication, blankets and psychological support. Disease outbreaks, especially cholera, is a big threat that will require joint efforts from all of us to be minimized.” – Abdelgadir Ahmed, Country Director Sierra Leone

Following the needs assessments coordinated by the government, Action Against Hunger and its partners quickly mobilized resources and started implementing emergency response.

In terms of damage to WASH facilities, the flash floods swept away sanitary amenities, contaminated water wells cutting out access to clean water and sanitation. To respond to the immediate WASH needs and deliver safe drinking water, 8 water tanks of 5000 liters are being installed in the affected communities. These tanks will be filled twice a day to respond to the needs of affected families in collaboration with GUMA water company.

“We have this one well serving the entire community. We relied on it for drinking, preparing food and completing other household chores. The well is now contaminated with flood water and because of that, most of us have been afraid to drink the water from it. Some of us buy water to drink, but I fear for those who cannot afford it. They are still drinking this contaminated water and risking their health.” – Hassan, Resident of Culvert Community.

In parallel, and as part of DFID funds, 200 households received hygiene kits including: water buckets, aquatabs, bathing soap, powdered laundry soap, bowls, sanitary pads, bleach and jerry cans. 74 households also received bottled water while the water kiosks are being installed.

These distributions are supported by hygiene promotion to create awareness of acute watery diseases and prevention of these diseases. In emergency contexts, diarrhea account for 40% of children deaths. Simple process as hand washing can reduce these risks.

Sierra Leone: Sierra Leone, Floods and Landslides Emergency, Number of Affected, 21 August 2017

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Source: World Food Programme
Country: Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone: Sierra Leone: Landslide and Floods Situation Update no.5, 22 August 2017

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Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Country: Sierra Leone

This report is produced by UNDAC team in collaboration with the UN Resident Coordinator Office in Sierra Leone and humanitarian partners. An emergency state was declared by Sierra Leone following floods and landslides leaving hundreds of people dead and destroyed thousands of homes on 14 August.

Situation overview

According to government figures, a total of 493 victims have been buried. The bulk of funerals took place during the first four days following the landslide. Reports from various sources indicate that hundreds are still missing but this figure is by no means verified. Substantiated numbers remain scarce since households’ numbers per demolished unit is uncertain. Excavation of bodies to be discontinued and the area will be demarcated for a memorial.

Rain are continuing as expected at this time of the year but no further flooding or damage has been reported in the last 5 days. Further assessments to date have not suggested any specific risk of additional landslides, and that the two debris flows reported on the other side of Sugar Loaf hill do not pose a threat to populations.

ONS list 5905 individuals (1247 households) in five communities as being directly affected by flood or landslide affected areas, referring to the following categorization:

• Survivors whose homes have been rendered either temporarily or permanently uninhabitable
• Households who have lost income generating member(s)
• Those injured because of disaster
(all categories also include consideration for vulnerable groups)

There three identified holding centres (IDPs sites) in Regent, Kamayama and Don Bosco (hosting over 250 unaccompanied children).

The most vulnerable areas are Regent and Kamayama, directly affected by the landslide, other areas mainly affected by flooding. The Sierra Leone Government has decided to relocate IDPs from Regent to a safer environment at Old School compound in Hill Valley (about 5km away). School start is delayed by one week to second week of September due to the emergency. Registration of people in disaster-prone areas needs to consider long-term planning as well.

There are challenges in coordinated reporting from the five Incident Coordination Centres (ICC) set up close to affected communities, however steps are taken by the Office of National Security (ONS) with support from UNDAC and partners to address these. WFP is supporting the Registration Pillar Lead Ministry of Social Welfare, Women Gender and Children’s Affairs to digitize beneficiary registration and verify registrants with support from local community leaders.

Sierra Leone: Sierra Leone: Flood and landslide Situation Report No. 5, 22 August 2017

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Source: UN Children's Fund
Country: Sierra Leone

Highlights

The Office of National Security has released disaggregated data on the people affected by the floods and mudslides, the injured and the recovered bodies. Out of 5,905 affected people, 2,607 are children and of the 493 bodies discovered, 157 are children.

Response operations continue despite the heavy rains experienced in Freetown in the past several days. In light of the continuing rains, efforts are also underway to establish preparedness mechanisms in high risk communities.

At the level of UNICEF, operations have been focused on supporting the affected communities in the six locations (Culvert, Dworzak, Kamayamah, Kanikay, Kaningo and Regent) as well supporting the 200 children that have been relocated to the Don Bosco Fambul programme in Freetown.

Sierra Leone: Sierra Leone Mudslides Cause More Than 300 Deaths

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Source: Taiwan Red Cross
Country: Sierra Leone

In the mid August, Sierra Leone’s most severe mudslides – triggered by three days of heavy rains – occurred in and around the capital Freetown and the coastal suburb of Racecourse on the city’s eastern edge, as well as in Regent and Lumley where thousands of makeshift settlements are home to the city’s poorest communities. Nearly 500 people have died, of which more than 150 are children. 615 are missing, more than 1,000 buildings are destroyed, 1,900 households are affected, of which 500 are displaced. Taiwan Red Cross immediately donates 10,000 swiss franc (equivalent to NT$ 318,900) to International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in humanitarian relief work in the light of aid to the Myanmar refugee project.

The staff and volunteers, many of whom come from the affected areas, are shocked by the sheer destruction of this disaster. “I have never seen anything like it. A river of mud came out of nowhere and swallowed entire communities, just wiped them away. We are racing against time, more flooding and the risk of disease to help these affected communities survive and cope with their loss.”said Constant Kargbo, SLRCS Secretary General. “The needs are massive. Damaged roads, power outages and broken communication lines present huge challenges for our volunteers to reach and support the affected communities.”

Debris flow severly hit the Regent City, surburb area near capital Freetown. The continuous torrential rain might cause another 21 hectares of land washed away. IFRC noted that although more than 300 victims were found, there were still 615 missing, and the number may increase at any time. It is estimated that more than 3,000 people have lost their homes and are in urgent need of emergency assistance and temporary shelter. The IFRC has released more than 270,000 Swiss francs from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to bolster initial search and rescue and recovery efforts. These emergency funds will enable volunteers to assist more than 9,000 people with search and rescue, first aid, health care, water, sanitation and hygiene promotion and emergency food.

Sierra Leone is bordered by Guinea to the north-east, Liberia to the south-east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south-west. It has a tropical climate, with a diverse environment ranging from savannah to rainforests. The country has a total area of 71,740 km2 (27,699 sq mi) and a population approximately of 7,396,000. English is the official language spoken at schools and government administration. About sixteen ethnic groups inhabit Sierra Leone, each with its own language and customs. The two largest and most influential are the Temne and the Mende people, which accounts for 60% of the total population. Sierra Leone has relied on mining, especially diamonds, for its economic base. Despite exploitation of this natural wealth, 70% of its population live in poverty. It is one of the poorest countries in the world. The ability to consume, health or education are way behind. And the country lacks solid national constuction.

According to Andy Li, The Deputy Director of Communication and Development of Taiwan Red Cross, "Taiwan Red Cross Society is an international humanitarian organization with credibility and influence throughout the world. We will work with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) on the humanitarian work. Despite the resources are limited, we will do our best to help people in need. Victims are always the first priority in the rescue work. With sweat and tears, we will never stop the humanitarian work.

Sierra Leone: Sierra Leone Emergency - Landslide & Floods (as of 21 August 2017)

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Source: MapAction
Country: Sierra Leone

Map shows the city sections affected by the Regent landslide and flash flooding, reported by Sierra Leone Office of National Security (ONS), and the numbers of affected households estimated from census data (2015) projected to 2017 populations by ONS.


Sierra Leone: Sierra Leone Emergency - Landslide Overview (as of 19 Aug 2017)

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Source: MapAction
Country: Sierra Leone

Map shows the extent and context of landslides from satellite images on 15 Aug 2017. Selected logistical sites and divisions are also shown.

Sierra Leone: UNDP stands with Sierra Leone in tragic times

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Source: UN Development Programme
Country: Sierra Leone

Following the torrential rains in the early hour of Monday 14th July, 2017 which caused massive mudslide and flooding that lead to the death of more than 400 people, UNDP is responding to the emergency with a dual focus – early recovery and prevention.

Presumed the worst flooding incident in West Africa for almost two decades, the tragedy has affected more than 5000 residents including infants in 16 communities in Freetown. Motormeh, a mountainous community in Regent, adjacent Mount Sugar Loaf, is the worst affected community.

UNDP was among the first responders in the early hours of Monday morning, when one of our staff who lived near the impacted area called in, screaming on the phone, as the disaster unfolded.

The Environment and Natural Resources Cluster immediately went into full response mode with all its staff moved to the impacted areas in the Regent suburb.

UNDP provided the first basic equipment including 50 shovels, 50 megaphones and 100 pickaxes, to help in the early search and rescue efforts, long before the Caterpillar excavators were brought in.

Rescue efforts are still ongoing with dwindling success of finding survivors as the August torrential rains continue.

UNDP is also supporting the Office of the National Security (ONS)—the body responsible for coordinating disaster response- to strengthen its analytical, information management and coordination role. UNDP has provided an data analyst that is supporting the Situation Room and will soon deploy a Coordination Specialist to the ONS.

President Koroma has activated level three security alert, the highest security threat alert. So far, it is estimated that 84 women, 109 children, and 105 adult male dead bodies were removed from the rubbles across the 13 impacted communities but this number is expected to rise.

As a joint United Nations support, UNDP participated in the rapid Multi-Sectorial Initial Assessment to map, and analyze urgent needs in the impacted communities to help inform the overall UN intervention.

Alongside the response, UNDP has been advocating for prevention. Together with UNOPS, UNDP has engaged the Environmental Protection Agency to development a prevention roadmap that includes immediate evacuation planning in areas that seem prone to a recurrence of the slide, develop coordinated messaging on prevention, and undertake an in-depth study on the cause of the slide, which many say is the first in 45 years in the country. UNOPS with support from UNDP is currently undertaking a geo-mapping exercise and UNDP is in discussion to field a geologist to help with the analysis.

UNDP has constituted its own internal Task Force to lead UNDP’s contribution to these efforts.

A joint UN assessment team brainstorming on the minor challenges faced during tension in a community at Lumley in west of Freetown.

The Government has announced to bereaved family to go the main referral morgue to identify their loved ones. Burial of unidentified bodies will begin Thursday, August 17, in Waterloo in the outskirt of Freetown.

A seven days mourning period has been announced starting August 15, 2017.

On the ground in more than 170 countries and territories, UNDP has been helping countries recovery following disaster for more than two decades.

Sierra Leone: Disaster Strikes Freetown – over 400 Dead and 600 Still Missing

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Source: Inter Press Service
Country: Sierra Leone

By Ngozi Cole

FREETOWN, Aug 23 2017 (IPS) - In the early hours of Monday morning, August 14, torrential rains hit Freetown, Sierra Leone’s capital city. Several areas of the city were flooded, as houses were either partially submerged under water or destroyed.

In Regent, a mountainous community on the outskirts of Freetown, extreme flooding triggered a mudslide on Mount Sugar Loaf, burying several houses and underneath dirt and rubble. Some families were completely wiped out, and in some cases, only one family member survived.

Most of the victims lived in little shacks and tin houses in informal settlements at the bottom of the mountain, and in other areas affected in Freetown, the victims were slum-dwellers living near the sea-level, close to rivers and streams, with very poor or no drainage or irrigation systems.

Close to 500 people have lost their lives, and approximately 600 people remain unaccounted for, according to Red Cross reports . More than 2000 people have also been rendered homeless in Freetown and are in need of food, clothing, medicine and shelter. In Regent, many more are believed to be buried, as excavation continues.

Flooding is nothing new to Freetown, as almost every year, floods have occurred in various communities in the city. Many areas in Freetown are disaster prone due to poor city planning, lack of effective drainage systems, and severe deforestation and many of the communities who live in high-risk disaster-prone areas are informal settlements, made from a conglomeration of shacks and poorly-built houses.

Sierra Leone remains one the world’s poorest countries, ranked 179th out of 188 countries on the United Nations Development Program’s Human Development Index.

Lack of opportunities in other parts of the country, attract many people to move to Freetown which has experienced mass migration since the 11-year civil war which ended in 2002.

Freetown hosts approximately 1 million people out of Sierra Leone’s 7.4 million people, leaving it overcrowded and overstretching the city’s capacity to provide proper sanitary conditions and essential resources like running water and electricity to its habitants.

In 2012, a cholera crisis in Freetown led to declaration of a national emergency. The outbreak resulted in 298 deaths, mostly from Freetown’s poorest communities. In September 2015, severe flooding in Freetown killed 10 people- and left approximately 4000 homeless.

However, a natural disaster of such magnitude is unprecedented in Freetown. Abu Sesay, one of the volunteers, lives close to where the mudslide happened in Regent. He has been helping to dig up bodies, and was a part of rescue efforts on that fateful morning.

“We heard the noise early in the morning, and didn’t know what was happening. It was raining heavily, but we could hear people screaming”. He then mobilized other young people in the area and they started to help pull out those who had survived. After the rains subsided, they uncovered bodies that were trapped in the mud and debris.

Sia Fayia also lost her neighbors in the mudslide. The family of four were completely buried under the rubble and only two of the bodies have been recovered. One of them, 27-year-old Sia Kelli, was in her final year as a student at the Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. “We’ve never seen anything like this before, this is beyond shocking”, Sia Fayia lamented.

Last week Thursday, authorities conducted a mass burial for 461 unidentified persons at the Waterloo cemetery, where Ebola victims had been buried too, as bereaved families looked on and wept. Some wept for those who were confirmed dead, while others did not know what happened to their loved ones-they could possibly be among those being buried.

Relief has poured in -from international donors such as DFID, and humanitarian relief agencies such as the Red Cross and Save the Children. Individual donations across the country have also poured into Donations centers, with people providing essentials such as care packages, bottles of water and bags of rice, to not only Regent, but other communities such as Culvert, Kamayama and Kaningo, which were also severely affected by floods.

The president, Ernest Bai Koroma has called for urgent help from the international community, stating at a press conference last week that the scale of the disaster was overwhelming.

However, Amnesty International produced a damning report on the disaster on Monday August 21, indicting the government of Sierra Leone for not doing enough to prevent such a tragedy from happening. “Due to a lack of regulation and insufficient consideration for minimum standards and environmental laws, millions of Sierra Leoneans are living in dangerously vulnerable homes.”- The statement from Amnesty International read.

As Sierra Leone struggles to rebuild after the devastation caused by an 11-year civil war and the Ebola epidemic, there are lessons to be learned from this disaster, and proper environmental protection policies will need to be enforced, in order to safeguard the lives of Sierra Leone’s citizens.

Sierra Leone: UNAIDS Assisting the Survivors of the Floods in Sierra Leone

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Source: UNAIDS
Country: Sierra Leone

On 14 August, heavy rains, a mudslide and flash floods destroyed hundreds of homes and left many dead, injured or missing in Sierra Leone. In all, more than 500 houses were buried and destroyed and some 6000 people were severely affected. So far, more than 500 bodies have been recovered, with the number expected to rise. A mass burial for 300 people brought the country together and hardened the commitment to collectively recover from the tragedy.

An estimated 200 people living with HIV and their families were affected, with around 54 among the dead. Relief and rescue efforts by community members and first responders immediately began providing life-saving support.

People living with HIV and people at higher risk of HIV infection often become more vulnerable in times of emergency, owing to a lack of prioritization of their needs, lack of prevention services and disruption of treatment. In addition, people living with HIV, especially with weakened immune systems, are at higher risk of contracting malaria and waterborne diseases.

In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, UNAIDS’ priority has been to ensure the continuation and scale-up of antiretroviral therapy services, provide technical support to the Network of HIV Positives in Sierra Leone (NETHIPS), generate strategic information for fundraising and facilitate access for people living with HIV to food and non-food resources. UNAIDS has been participating in the broader disaster coordination structure within the United Nations and is supporting NETHIPS in the registration of people living with HIV affected by the disaster and in finding out their immediate needs.

In the medium and long term, UNAIDS, in collaboration with the United Nations interagency team, the National HIV/AIDS Secretariat, NETHIPS and the wider national disaster response coordination unit, will ensure that people living with HIV have access to support that includes the restoration of livelihoods, shelter construction and psychosocial services.

This crisis has put into sharp focus the fragility of Sierra Leone’s post-Ebola social safety nets. It is critical that the resources required for the response to HIV be included in the emergency fundraising appeals and that the country’s HIV catch-up plan be financed and implemented effectively.

QUOTES

“ENTIRE COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN WIPED OUT BY THE DISASTER. WE NEED URGENT SUPPORT NOW.”

ERNEST BAI KOROMA PRESIDENT OF SIERRA LEONE

“HUMANITARIAN CRISES EXACERBATE THE HIV EPIDEMIC—VULNERABILITIES ARE INCREASED, SERVICES ARE DISRUPTED, PEOPLE ARE UPROOTED AND ACCESS TO HIV PREVENTION AND TREATMENT AFFECTED, LEADING TO NEW HIV INFECTIONS.”

MICHEL SIDIBÉ EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UNAIDS

Sierra Leone: Situación humanitaria crítica después de las inundaciones en Sierra Leona

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Source: Acción contra el Hambre España
Country: Sierra Leone, Spain

Emergencia en Sierra Leona (Freetown)

  • La semana pasada, las inundaciones repentinas acabaron con la vida de más de 490 personas en Freetown, con un alto número de aún desaparecidas y alrededor de 6.000 personas afectadas.

  • Con condiciones sanitarias críticas, la situación de salud pública de los afectados está en gran peligro. Acción contra el Hambre está distribuyendo agua segura e interviniendo para prevenir la propagación de enfermedades entre las comunidades afectadas.

Madrid, 23 de agosto de 2017

"Las necesidades más urgentes e inmediatas son agua potable, acceso a instalaciones sanitarias, refugio, medicamentos, mantas y apoyo psicológico. Los brotes de enfermedades, especialmente el cólera, son una gran amenaza que requerirá esfuerzos conjuntos de todos nosotros para ser minimizados " asegura Abdelgadir Ahmed, Director País de Acción contra el Hambre en Sierra Leona.

Siguiendo las necesidades señaladas por el gobierno, Acción contra el Hambre y sus socios movilizaron rápidamente los recursos y comenzaron a implementar la respuesta a la emergencia.

Las inundaciones repentinas barrieron instalaciones sanitarias, los pozos de agua contaminados cortaron el acceso al agua potable y al saneamiento. Para responder a las necesidades inmediatas y proporcionar agua potable, se están instalando 8 tanques de agua de 5.000 litros en las comunidades afectadas. Estos tanques serán llenados dos veces al día para responder a las necesidades de las familias.

Paralelamente, el equipo de Acción contra el Hambre llegó a 200 hogares con kits de higiene incluyendo: cubos de agua, pastillas potabilizadoras, jabón de baño, jabón en polvo, cuencos, pañales y compresas y lejía. 74 hogares también recibieron agua embotellada mientras se instalaban los depósitos de agua.

Estas distribuciones son apoyadas con actividades de promoción de la higiene para crear conciencia sobre las enfermedades transmitidas por el agua. Un proceso sencillo como el lavado de manos puede reducir las tasas de diarrea en casi un 40 por ciento.

Acción contra el Hambre es una organización humanitaria internacional que lucha contra las causas y los efectos del hambre. Salvamos la vida de niños y niñas desnutridos. Garantizamos acceso a agua segura, alimentos, formación y cuidados básicos de salud. Trabajamos también para liberar niños, mujeres y hombres de la amenaza del hambre.

Más información y entrevistas con portavoces:

Departamento de Comunicación Acción contra el Hambre-España

Teléfonos: 91 91 771 16 72 | 91 391 53 06 | 609 018 735

@Acontraelhambre

www.accioncontraelhambre.org

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