Recent “unprecedented” flooding has killed two and left nearly 50,000 in “urgent need” in Liberia, the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) said Tuesday, calling for international support.
The floods triggered by torrential rainfall have so far affected “more than 48,000 people” in the West African nation and caused severe damage to homes, schools and hospitals, the agency said in a statement.
The flooding hit the counties of Montserrado, the country’s most populous which includes the capital Monrovia, as well as Margibi to the north and Grand Bassa in the centre.
The downpour which began at the end of June left 8,000 displaced, some 300 of whom have not yet returned to their homes, an NDMA official told AFP by telephone on Tuesday.
“The scale of the flooding is unlike any we have ever witnessed,” the NDMA statement said, adding it was “overwhelmed” and unable to address all the needs simultaneously.
“We call on our partners, both local and international, to support the NDMA in addressing the needs of the affected population,” the statement said.
The NDMA said it needed $10 million to address “the emergency needs of the affected population”.
The disaster agency stressed that Liberia was not yet halfway through the rainy season and that the country had limited resources to combat the effects of climate change.
It added that an estimated 100,000 people were at risk of flooding, storms and coastal erosion.
“The compounded emergencies -– mass displacement, injuries, deaths, damaged homes and public buildings, and heightened health risks -– are expected to worsen in the coming days and weeks,” it said.