Kebba Ansu
Officials of National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) and United States Council on Global Development (USCGD) on Friday brainstorm on the Gambia disasters in its efforts to curbing disasters in the country.
Sanna Dahaba, executive director National Disaster Management Agency stated that USCGD are in the country to support the country in its fights to mitigating disasters.
He further said that the USCGD officials were previously in the country on a scooping mission meant to identify areas of intervention in line with the overall framework of the national development plan (NDP).
“We invite them (United States Council on Global Development officials) to tell us the findings of their scooping mission in a bid to providing assistance within the overall context of the framework of the national development plan,” Dahab pointed out.
He added: “We invited United States Council on Global Development here to come and see what sort of assistance can be offered within the framework of the NDP. We believe they can help us to address flooding and associated problems that continues to impede the works of the NDMA.”
According to him, development and urbanization has completely change the flooding patterns in the country especially around the urban areas, adding that unregulated housing and indiscriminate dumping of waste also causes lot of problems in their quest to responding to disasters.
Reuben Egolf, Chairman of United States Council on Global Development (USCGD) said his organisation is here in the country to work with the Gambian government in providing support and assistance in many areas including disaster mitigation, disclosing that many projects have been earmarked in the health sector, education, agriculture, women empowerment as well as the national endowment project.
According to him, the Gambian environment is conducive for businesses and organisations to thrive and flourish, noting that his organisation will make best used of the environment and endeavor to attract growth and development in the country.
Chairman Reuben Egolf disclosed that his organisation is also working in tandem with the Pastor Fellowship of The Gambia in the efforts to the realization of the various projects identified, adding that efforts are on course to start bankrolling projects associated with disaster risk management, women and youth entrepreneurship among others.
The United States Council on Global Development is a consulting group based in Washington DC.