As the month of August starts, His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio has called on all Sierra Leoneans to reflect on the journey thus far as the country set bigger goals for the future.
The President tweeted: “As we enter the Month of August, let us reflect on the journey thus far as we set bigger goals for the future. Having formed my new Cabinet, my administration is poised to work with the Legislative and Judicial Arms of Government towards delivering on our BIG FIVE GAME CHANGER National Development Priorities for the sustainable transformation of our nation.
“I, therefore, call on every Sierra Leonean to relinquish our differences and embrace the onerous task of building a vibrant, resilient and prosperous Sierra Leone that works for all.
In August, 2027, more than 300 people were killed in a mudslide and flood
In August, 2017 a devastating landslide and flooding disaster ripped through Sierra Leone’s capital city, Freetown. This caused millions of dollars of destruction and damage to buildings, infrastructure, and a reported loss of more than a thousand lives. In response, the government of Sierra Leone requested financial and disaster risk management support from the World Bank should such an event reoccur.
Prior to the landslide, Freetown experienced three successive days of intense and heavy rainfall which caused part of Sugar Loaf Mountain – the highest peak in the North Western Area Peninsula – to collapse.
With bodies being washed up on the beaches, and bridges connecting communities and water distributions networks completely destroyed, response efforts spanning several sectors required millions of dollars to address the direct losses from the disaster. However, this still left the citizens of Freetown extremely exposed and vulnerable to future disasters.
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