Sierra Leone News: EU Supports Flood Victims

By Rima Turay

In response to the floods in Freetown earlier this month, the European Union is providing €80,000 in humanitarian funding to assist those most affected, according to a statement from European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations.

This EU funding will support the Red Cross in delivering much needed relief assistance, including water, sanitation and health, psychosocial support, and health promotion activities. The humanitarian aid will directly benefit 1,800 people (300 households), who had their homes destroyed in the flooding.

The funding is part of the EU’s overall contribution to the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

Freetown, the capital city of Sierra Leone has experienced persistent torrential rains since late May. The resulting floods damaged houses, road networks and destroyed the livelihoods of approximately 896 households (5,381 people).

Flash floods in Willington, Freetown on Thursday August 15, 2019, left at least three people dead and hundreds of residents homeless. The flash floods swept the small community destroying building, and the retaining walls were brought down causing a lot of trouble.

Also on Friday August 2, 2019, flash floods in Freetown, left at least six people dead, dozens injured and hundreds of residents made homeless. Communities hard-hit by the floods include Culvert Community, Kroo Bay community, Bathurst community, Susan’s Bay, Kissy Brook, Lower Lumley, Malama, Sheriff Drive Campbell Street and Motormeh, among others

Also, thousands of people were made homeless in communities along the Freetown peninsula after homes were inundated due to heavy rains on Wednesday August 7, 2019.