By Precious D. Freeman
In a collaborative humanitarian initiative, the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) and Save the Children International (SCI) officially launched a joint recovery effort to provide critical relief assistance to flood-affected families in Bong and River Cess counties.
This effort aims to support 320 households benefiting approximately 1,600 individuals, including 960 children who have been severely impacted by recent floods.
The initiative specifically targets 220 households in Bong County (about 1,100 individuals, including 660 children) and 100 households in River Cess County (approximately 500 individuals, including 300 children).
Relief support focuses on three key areas: education, hygiene, and essential food supplies.
Education Support: Each of the 320 school kits contains essential materials, including school bags, copy books, erasers, rulers, sharpeners, geometry boxes, pencils, pens, and oil pastels, ensuring that children whose learning materials were lost or damaged can continue their education uninterrupted.
Hygiene Kits: Every family will receive a hygiene kit consisting of sanitary pads, multi-purpose soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, washcloths, laundry detergent, hand sanitizer, and water guard, addressing urgent sanitation needs and reducing health risks, especially for vulnerable girls and women.
Food Assistance: Each household will receive 25kg of rice and 5 liters of vegetable oil, helping to alleviate food insecurity among affected families.
The relief effort is the result of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between NDMA and SCI, underscoring their shared commitment to effective humanitarian response and recovery efforts.
During the official launch event, Save the Children’s Humanitarian Lead, Madam Zinnah Cargeor, presented the relief items to NDMA’s Director for Loss, Damage, and Recovery, Madam Asatu Z. Konneh.
The launch was formally carried out by Bong County Superintendent Hawa Norris.
Distribution of the relief items commenced yesterday and is expected to conclude by today, ensuring timely delivery of essential supplies to the affected families.
This partnership highlights the power of collaboration in addressing urgent humanitarian needs and supporting vulnerable communities in times of crisis.
