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Western Region disaster committee distributes food items

Sep 29, 2010, 1:33 PM | Article By: Abdoulie Nyockeh

Western Region disaster coordinating office recently distributed 192 bags of paddy rice, 313 drums of oil and 113 bags of sugar to disaster victims in the region.

"This is a new consignment that was received from the president as part of his benevolent gesture to help victims of the floods," Sering Modou Joof, regional coordinator said, while speaking at the handing over ceremony of the items.

According to Mr Joof, 162 families are going to benefit from the latest consignment, making it a total of "one thousand four hundred plus families" as beneficiaries.

He stated that last week his office also distributed rice and oil, bought with funds from the D10 million donated by President Jammeh to disaster victims.

Joof revealed that out of that distribution, 325 families benefited amounting to a total of 4530 people that have benefited so far from this coverage.

He further stated that the first distribution covered twenty-two households, the second 325 households, and the third 162 households.

He added that all together, his office has given supplies to 520 households in Western Region, amounting to a total of 6141 people who have received support from the Western Region disaster office.

Joof further revealed that there exist 290 families who are yet to benefit from the support, amounting to a grand total of 2800 people.

He called on all Gambians, institutions and humanitarian organizations to come forward to contribute their quota in helping disaster victims.

"Disaster is everybody's business," he said, adding that it is not the responsibility of government alone to help victims "but rather a collective responsibility". 

According to the regional coordinator, his office will not be compromised with the issue of accountability, noting that anything that people give "we ensure that at the end of the day it is accounted for and is published for people to see it".   

"People should therefore have confidence to come forward to help the victims," he added.