The Gambia Red Cross Society has sent rapid humanitarian aid to at least 200 families severely affected by last week gale of windstorm.
Authorities said 10 including a 5-year-old boy died when the raging wind struck their buildings. Dozens of houses, also, have been dismantled, leaving 1500 people displaced.
National Disaster Management assessment report showed that “3,114 people have already been affected” and “1,531 internally displaced”.
The Gambia Red Cross Society had launched a Disaster Relief Emergency Fund to help address the situation.
According to information, it is said to have “loaded three vehicles with relief items including 250 sleeping mats, 300 Bedsheets, 80 small buckets, 1080 pieces of soap, 276 bottles of Dettol, 300 Blankets, 700 reusable face masks,290 bottles of bleach.”
“The urgent needs of the affected people are to support 200 families severely affected by the windstorm. There is a huge need for humanitarian support such as shelter, food, medical, water, sanitation and Hygiene products,” Gambia Red Cross Society said in a statement.
The Gambian leader Adama Barrow had summoned an emergency meeting to conduct a rapid assessment of the damages to advise the Government accordingly and urged good Samaritans to support in any way they can to ease the burden on affected families while his government assesses the needed support.
Meanwhile, Citizens’ Alliance also visited windstorm victims with officials of the National Disaster Management Agency.
“In rolling out its humanitarian support, the Citizens’ Alliance in collaboration with officials of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) unit in Brikama, West Coast Region, today visited some ravaged households and victims of the Wednesday night windstorm within West Coast Region.
“The party extended its sincere sadness to all affected families and further rendered humanitarian support to all the visited affected households and families to help them rehabilitate and restore their valuable loss,” the party said in a statement.
“The party strongly share the pains and sufferings that the victims are currently facing, and hereby encourage every person to extend all forms of support to the affected households and families. We wish to thank the NDMA Brikama unit for the guidance and collaboration with us to manifest solidarity with the victims. We pray that Allah grant all those who lost their souls the highest Jannah,” it added.