What is happening?
Houses being swept away by torrential rain during the monsoon in Sierra Leone is not uncommon. But this season, Sierra Leone was not prepared for the magnitude of the disaster, and homes in Freetown were submerged during the night and mudslides occurred, engulfing homes and causing the deaths of approximately 500 people and over 600 to be reported missing. Local leaders have put the death count at 1000 as rescue groups have stated it is unlikely those missing will have survived as it has been over two weeks since the flooding and mudslides occurred.The president is calling for “urgent help now” as the disaster “was overwhelming (them)”
"I've lost everything."
"Where else can I go?"
Survivors of Sierra Leone's mudslide in their own words ???????? https://t.co/XvBnbisyI6 pic.twitter.com/sLx4ERK4Ng
— BBC Africa (@BBCAfrica) August 23, 2017
The drainage system, unable to stand the capacity of water was overwhelmed causing the area to quickly be flooded. There is a risk of mass outbreaks of waterborne diseases such as typhoid, cholera and diarrhoea as the stagnant water has nowhere to go.
What is being done?
The Red Cross is having difficult pulling people submerged in mud in their own homes due to lack of volunteers and machinery, but slowly people are starting to be buried. $150,000 in emergency funds have been released by IOM (the International Organisation of Migration) and the UN have released a team to help provide assistance in “rescue operations, helping evacuate residents, providing medical assistance to the injured, registering survivors, and providing food rations, water and dignity kits to those affected.” Not much aid is being sent and volunteers and supplies are needed urgently.
What can you do?
Please take time to share these links with family and friends
You can donate to Ummah welfare trust
Gofundme created by Mallence Bart Williams, who is from Sierra Leone (the site takes 10% of the money raised, but the rest of the funds will go towards providing emergency relief).
You can also take action by circulating the new by word of mouth or social media. This can be by sharing articles, images, videos or even creating your own campaigns (though when sharing images and videos, be mindful of those grieving and those no longer here and refrain from posting media of the deceased). Exposure is especially important as there are risks of further flooding as the rain continues.
