Sierra Leone Mudslide Rendered Children Homeless
Following the recent disaster at the Motomeh Community, Regent, in Freetown, authorities has confirmed that the number of children who are homeless may increase more than 3,000.
Speaking to this medium about the current situation on the August 14 20217 in Freetown, the Deputy Minister of Information and Communications, Cornelius Deveax, disclosed that over 3,000 children have been registered homeless after the mudslide disaster struck. He noted that local non-governmental organizations, including a Catholic Relief services, Don Bosco Fambul Organization Red Cross and other philanthropist opted to house and take of some of the children that were left homeless.
According the Red Cross rescue team, it was projected that at least 600 people remained missing following the storm that struck as many of the victims were sleeping.
A survivor, Hawa Koroma spoke in tears as she talked about all of his family members she lost in the mudslides. “Mother, father, sisters, brothers, cousins all gone,” Hawa inform this medium. My life has been shattered and she could not see the bodies of none of his parent.
The affected communities includes, Kaningo, Motemeh at Mount Sugar Loaf in the Regent Community. Mr Mohamed Alieu Kabia, Idrissa Jalloh, Madam Hassantua Kabia, Brima Sesay, Abu Conteh Kadiatu Kamara Sheku Conteh, yeabu Turay, Fatmata Kallon, Saidu Buriya Jalloh and Ibrihaim Sesay were among the list of parents whose body could not be found after the struck of the mudslide in the Mount Sugar loaf before dawn on Monday after heavy rain. Report state that there was all night prayer by one Church and other people who came from other community to warship God with them.
While the rescue team continues to search for the reminding, it was reported that government summoned families to the mortuary and informed them that all unidentified corpses would be buried in a mass grave on Thursday and Friday respectively.
The Presidential spokesperson in Sierra Leone asked relatives to come to the mudslide site including pastors and imam to offer prayers for those bodies that could not be found. The government also pleaded for international assistance as it reels from yet another disaster just a couple of years after the Ebola outbreak that left thousands in the region dead.
The Head of the Government mortuary in Freetown Seneh Dumbuya inform this press that the bodies will be transported to the Ebola cemetery at Waterloo, about 30km outside off the capital Freetown. He noted that most of the bodies are decomposing and therefore they cannot delay with it. He anticipated that the death toll which could not discover under the mud might more.
An eye witness said one family was calling for help in an unidentified location under the mud but the rescue team count locates the point despite several during a mobile conversation.
In a short interview with one of the community stakeholder, Pa Mohamed Fofanah said this is the worst tragedy ever in his life. He said the response team lack the basic tool to detect bodies cover by the mudslide except they few that were been carried by the flooding.
He used the opportunity to call on government and other partners to come to their aid especially the children who have lost their parents.
A Senior Officer from the Office of National Security Mr. Joseph Kargbo said government cannot tell the exact number of people that were not discovered or seen until they get data from the National Civil Registration Authority or statistical office to provide them date of the area.
