NDMA gives disaster reliefs to victims in LRR

Sixty households attacked by disaster within the Lower River Region have received support from the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) through its regional office in Mansakonko on 8 January 2014.

The relief came in the form of food and non-food items including rice and maize bags, salt, oval tin, gallons of oil and plastic plates and spoons as supplementary for the damage of their properties mainly by flood and fire.

The support came barely three weeks after destructive fire swallowed four residential compounds with a loss of about 38 metric tons of groundnut, clothing, food and money in cash at Sare Samba in Kiang East.

 Lamin Saidy, coordinator of the Regional Disaster Management Committee in the Lower River Region, in his remarks at the distribution, disclosed that the relief items being presented to disaster victims in LRR came as a result of presidential gesture, adding that such distribution and support has been extended to disaster victims over the years.

Mr Saidy said the NDMA is trying to shift from its traditional relief intervention to a new approach of preparedness and prevention of disaster.

He seized the opportunity to call on the beneficiaries in LRR to be engaged in disaster risk reduction in their own communities to minimize the effects of disaster in the region.

Lamin Saidy thanked his committee members and stakeholders such as Red Cross, Youth and Sports, Women’s Bureau and others, saying their commitment during the assessment and distribution of relief items is a step in the right direction.

For his part, Abu Njie, Deputy Governor of the Lower River Region, thanked the Government of The Gambia for championing the cause of development across the country.

DG Njie emphasized the need for people to avoid settling in disaster prone zones to prevent the re-occurrence of the damages in their communities.

According to Mr Njie, there wouldn’t be any need for relief if disaster does not occur and the best way to avoid it is to obey the rules governing settlement on lands in the country.