By: Haruna Kuyateh
Kerewan Area Council in North Bank Region has given out 690 bags of rice of 25kg to victims of last month’s windstorm that killed 10 people and displaced over 1000 others.
The foodstuff worth D500,000 was handed to the Regional Disaster Management Coordination Office in Kerewan to help distribute it among the victims.
Speaking at the handing over ceremony, Chief Executive Officer Samba MK Leigh said the support demonstrated council commitment to the welfare taxpayers, while described the July windstorm as devastating and assured of council fullest support and collaboration with the National Disaster Management Agency.
Chairman Malamin IL Bojang of Kerewan Area Council said the assessment on the level of destruction cannot be underestimated and therefore the council held emergency finance committee meeting and approved D500,000 to provide food to the affected families.
He noted that the destruction has contributed to displacement of families to schools and by extension added additional responsibility on families and friends that hosted some of the displaced people.
Chairman Bojang noted that windstorm has impacted on the people and forced families to sell their seed and other materials to provide temporal shelter for the families.
For his part Governor Lamin Saidykhan who is also the Chairman of Regional Disaster Management Agency hailed the council for their timely intervention, noting that the food support would contribute immensely to enhance humanitarian respond.
He reiterated the need for more support to Regional Disaster Management Coordination Office to enhance response during disasters.
Lamin Saidy Regional Disaster Management Coordinator for NBR disclosed that 32,000 peoples were affected by windstorm and described the ongoing cash support to families by government through National Disaster Management Agency demonstrated political commitment.
He thanked council for the support and called for collaboration and networking with partners to avoid duplication of efforts.
Abdoulie Khan Director of Finance at the council called on taxpayers to always pay their tax and rates to council on time to allow more support and projects to be undertaken by the council.
