-World Bank says 10,000 individuals might be affected
By Jerromie S. Walters
The National Disaster Management Agency of Liberia has reported that over 10,000 individuals are at risk of experiencing flooding, windstorms, and coastal erosion, with 60% of the impact expected in coastal counties. This information is based on the World Bank Group Climate Risk Profile-2024 for Liberia.
During a Ministry of Information Cultural Affairs and Tourism press briefing on Thursday, March 21, 2024, in Monrovia, NDMA Executive Director Ansu Dulleh referenced the expected natural disaster which was recently reported by the World Bank. He says the entity is working on plans to deploy awareness teams nationwide to educate citizens on preventing these natural disasters
Also at the media engagement, the National Disaster Management Agency, Mr. Ansu V.S. Dulleh Sr., said it has come to light that a total of 1,863 individuals have been impacted by the recent natural disaster, with two individuals sustaining severe injuries in the affected areas.
Mr. Ansu V.S. Dulleh Sr., revealed on Saturday, March 16, 2024, that reports from Gbapolu, Bong, and Nimba Counties have highlighted the extensive devastation caused by windstorms. A staggering 298 homes have been damaged, leading to over a thousand individuals being displaced and left homeless.
Mr. Dulleh disclosed that the Liberian government, in collaboration with the NDMA, swiftly mobilized a response team to assess the situation in partnership with local authorities in the affected counties.
The team’s findings revealed significant destruction in various towns, including Weaua in Gbapolu, Janplee, Garmue, and Panthan in Bong County, and Zoeplayboe in Nimba.
The data collected by NDMA indicated that in Gbapolu County alone, 101 homes were surveyed, with 52 suffering severe damage and 49 experiencing partial damage, affecting a total of 769 individuals.
Similarly, in Bong County, out of 82 homes assessed, 45 were severely damaged, impacting 268 citizens, while 37 homes suffered partial damage. Additionally, in Nimba County, 37 structures were affected, with two being completely destroyed, resulting in a 14-year-old girl sustaining serious injuries and 268 citizens being affected.
Mr. Ansu Dulleh emphasized the importance of conducting thorough investigations into the extent of the damage, noting that critical infrastructure had also been significantly impacted by the windstorms. The NDMA is actively engaged in addressing the immediate humanitarian needs of those affected by the disaster.
Furthermore, Mr. Dulleh highlighted President Joseph Boakai’s unwavering commitment to supporting initiatives that ensure the safety and well-being of all Liberian citizens during times of crisis.
There have always been several hazards affecting Liberia. When these encounter the vulnerable elements (human, environment, and economic assets) and fragile environment created by years of conflicts and poverty of the Liberian population; either local or national disasters easily occur.
The most common hazards are as follows: epidemics, floods, tropical storms, fire, tidal abnormalities, erosion, and the possibility of droughts in the future. There are also human-induced disasters resulting from war, refugees, internally displaced people (IDP), and chemical and harmful clements.
It was earlier predicted that In the future, meteorological hazards such as floods and droughts are likely to increase due to global warming. Industrial development might further lead to oil spills and other toxic waste disasters.
In 2022, a national factional plan for disaster risk reduction was created. Before that, the National Disaster Relief ‘Plan’ was developed to guide the activities of the Commission.
The primary objective of the NDRC was to prevent disaster, assist victims of disaster,
and reconstruct, protect, and safeguard the life, property, public health, and welfare of the people. A National Disaster Relief ‘Plan’ was developed to guide the activities of the Commission. The Plan outlined the types of disasters to be addressed in Liberia and, the composition of the National Disaster Relief Commission with amendments made in May 1987.
Functions of the Commission before, during, and after a disaster and the roles of the National Red Cross and Disaster
Preparedness Units. NDRC main Activities from 1976 to 2012- Although the prevention of disasters was mentioned in the NDRC’s main objective, as well as in the National Disaster Relief Plan, the NDRC remained a purely emergency response/relief-oriented organization. Since 1976, the Commission has been involved in delivering relief assistance to victims of fire, flood, rainstorm, sea erosion, landslide, and other assistance to Liberia. The major challenge the commission faced was capacity, mainly human and financial resource constraints.
NDRC AND DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES – 2012
There has been an international, regional, and sub-regional paradigm shift from response to pro-activeness, increased frequency and severity of hazards, increased disaster losses and number of persons affected and erosion of development gains influenced the NDRC to focus its attention on disaster risk reduction. This ‘new thinking’ resulted in recognizing the essential public value of sustained efforts to reduce the social, economic, and environmental costs of natural and human-induced hazards. Disaster risk management therefore replaced emergency response practice in 2012.
