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In Sierra Leone, President Koroma Launches National Disaster Response Fund

Posted on March 27, 2013 at 02:20:04 PM AEDT

His Excellency President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma on Wednesday 8th May 2013 officially launched the National Disaster Response Trust Fund at the Miatta Conference Hall in Freetown.

President Koroma said disaster prevention, management and swift response is one of the many challenges faced by the global village of which Sierra Leone is part of.

He said Sierra Leoneans must be prepared and proactive in dealing with disaster incidences. He said the creation of the fund is the first line of action that tells the global village that the country is ready to swiftly and promptly response to disaster incidences. 

He said the country looses souls and millions of leones as a result of disaster, especially during the raining season, citing that in 2012, seven deaths were reported, 5 at Congo Town, 1 at Dwazark and 1 at Wellington in just a night after heavy fall of rain.

He said that there are reported cases of fire outbreaks consuming towns and villages, adding that cases of storm have been devastating. In meeting these challenges, President Koroma said Sierra Leone need to base its strategies in a mush proactive stance and that one of which is the launch of the Trust Fund. 

He furthered that, his government is determine and committed to promote and provide safe and enabling environment free from disaster. He said in August 2011, his government launched the Disaster Preparedness Fund which aimed to promptly responding to disaster incidences as and when they happened. 

He lauded the initiative of the Sierra Leone Red Cross and Red Crescent Society for introducing the Trilogy Emergency Relief Application (TERA) System which sends out text messages information members of the public on disease prevention and foreseen disaster incidents.

Statements were earlier on made by representatives from the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society, the Office of National Security, the Parliamentary Oversight Committee on Defense and Security and from the Executive Representative of the United Nations Secretary General.

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