Flood victims beg gov’t for support

Flood victims in Domies Town, Riverbank Communities in Rural Montserrado, and Margibi Counties are calling on President George M. Weah and his government to give them support, complaining that they are facing tough time after being made homeless by heavy flood.

The SOS call was made over the weekend when the Liberian National Red Cross Society was donating relief items to victims affected by flood. Riverbank Community Chairman Mr. Benjamin B. Cole complained on the deplorable living conditions of citizens who were affected by the flood during an interview with this paper.

“It hurts me when people come to donate to us, something that our leaders have failed to do. We stood on line to vote these people, but yet they don’t care for us, they don’t even know what is obtaining in their district,” Mr. Cole claims.

He says their plead to the new government is to provide the necessary assistance, since their lawmaker has allegedly refused to render them support. The Riverbank Community chairman pointed out that the coming of Red Cross was an opportunity, not a right.

The Red Cross is supporting the communities to help reestablish their lives with hope and dignity after flood in 2016 and 2017 affected over 15, 431 people from 49 communities in the two counties including Rural Montserrado, and Margibi Counties.

But making the presentation of relief items to the victims, the Secretary General of Red Cross Mrs. Saybah Tamba said the Red Cross will continue its efforts to helping citizens who are made victims by flood in order to get them back on their feet.

According to Madam Tamba, the National Society will continue to identify the needs of the flood affected communities and respond appropriately as long as resources are available.

She further expressed gratitude to the Japanese Government for the support through the IFRC to enhance response and recovery capacity for population affected by flood, noting that the Liberian Red Cross needs the support of everyone to enable the organization to reach further and deliver better.

she says in effectively responding to the needs of flood affected communities since the launch of the project, the Liberian Red Cross has recruited and trained 300 community based action team members.

According to her, the team has been helping in distributing nonfood items such as mats, blankets, and wrappers ( lappa) , used clothes, laundry and bath soaps to about 1340 beneficiaries.

By Lewis S. Teh–Edited by Winston W. Parley