January 12, 2021
he National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), has on the 10th January,2022 accompanied by the Sierra Leone police, visited the Moa Wharf community to assess the danger posed to the community and lives of the inhabitants.
The community is situated just back of the Princess Christian Maternity Hospital (PCMH) – Cottage, two houses that flanked the hospital fence are considered death traps, and the path to the houses is dangerous and unsafe for adults and children likewise that inhabit the locality.
According to Amanita Sesay, a pregnant woman who has three children, in tears, said she went for antenatal treatment; on her return, she found the soil has shifted, and the walls have caved in on their toilet, just a leap away from her door, yet, a riling threat to the lives of her family.
The Director of Research and Monitoring and Evaluation, Abu-Bakr Bangura, said to address the looming threat, “We need to take actions,” admonishing community heads. The Assessment observed that people were digging clay to construct new homes and that is compromising the safety of the inhabitants and the paling of the PCMH Hospital (Cottage).
The NDMA witnessed the cleaning of the Moa Wharf gutter, over-filled; a threat to the lives and properties. Director of Risk Reduction and Preparedness, NDMA, Thomas Lebbie, said the cleaning of the gutter is crucial for containing overflowing when it rains and causing possible loss of lives and properties and from bacterial diseases.
NDMA engaged stakeholders and outlined the dangers associated with inimical human actions. The visiting team admonished the community leaders to be vigilant – in protecting their communities from human activities considered dangerous to their very existence.
The NDMA will continue its mandate to mitigate natural disasters through its early warning mechanism. Raising awareness and working with actors at the local and the governance level is essential in addressing the looming threats that might lead to a tragedy.