Dolo’s Town – At night, Sylvester Weamia says he and victims of flooding in the Margibi area are living in hell because the area looks fearful.
“No light as frog sound and mosquito bites are the order of the Day”, he says. “We are really suffering.”
Hundreds of Flood victims have expressed fear of a possible malaria and other health-related outbreaks due to their current living condition.
The affected, mainly men, women and children are now sheltering in an open public school without doors, windows and lament the lack of safe-drinking water.
A FrontPageAfrica reporter who visited the area found some of the affected children already sick from malaria and cholera due to constant mosquito bites and unsafe drinking water.
Many of the victims are teachers who are currently underpaid and struggling to make ends meet.
Isaac Kula who says he earns 12,000 Liberian Dollars explains that it took him three years to build his House which has now been completely washed away by the flood.
This is sad,” he laments.
Yassah Howard, another teacher explains that she took loan from her Association to build her House and is worried how she is going to re-pay the Loan, but more importantly, how she is going to send her children to School. “I am in tears and have no one to help me,” she says.
David Taylor, another victim attributed the huge flood in the area to poor drainage system as he made a passionate plea to the National Government including Humanitarian organizations to help address the issue quickly.
Taylor says he foresees a bigger natural disaster if nothing is done, or if no one comes to their aid.
On Saturday, the National Teachers Association of Liberia brought some relief, donating thirty bags of 25kg rice and sixty sacks of water to their members, including affected people in the area.
“This is our initial gesture and is our own way of identifying with our people especially during this natural disaster which has badly affected our people,” says acting President Mary Mulbah Nyumah and Secretary General Samuel Y. Johnson.
Both NTAL officials expressed sadness at seeing their members sleep in the same open classes that they usually teach the children from.
“This is disappointing. There is a need for national Government to see reason to change the suffering condition of teachers.”
Victims of the disaster are from the notorious Dolo’s Town including surrounding Communities in lower Margibi County.
It can be recall that during the heat of the Ebola crisis, the town was one of the hardly hit areas with several people losing their lives.
Most of the victims are residing in slum communities and are living below less than a dollar a day.
Julius Konton, For FrontPageAfrica