The Sierra Leonean Government on Monday warned of the risk of more mudslides, a week after floods and a massive mudslide in the capital, Freetown, killed at least 500 people.
Vice President, Victor Bockarie Foh, who gave the warning said that the government was planning to relocate all residents living in disaster-prone areas, especially those settled close to mountains, as heavy rains continued to fall.
Most deaths caused by the August 14 disaster occurred in the Regent neighbourhood, an informal settlement at the foot of Sugarloaf Mountain, on the outskirts of Freetown.
No fewer than 499 people were killed in the disaster, according to Coroner Sinneh Dumbuya, while hundreds were still missing on Monday and about 3,000 people were displaced.
The disaster destroyed large areas of infrastructure in the city of about one million people, including water and sanitation facilities, making residents vulnerable to outbreaks of infectious diseases.
The infectious diseases could include malaria, typhoid and cholera, WHO warned on Monday.
Sierra Leone is still reeling from an Ebola outbreak, which took thousands of lives in the country in 2014 and 2015.
Previously, the West African nation suffered a decade-long civil war (1991-2002), during which an estimated 70,000 people were killed.
Sierra Leone is among the world’s five poorest nations and has the lowest life expectancy in the world, according to the WHO.
According to the UN, China has announced one million dollars in aid for Sierra Leone, while the EU pledged an initial 300,000 euros (350,000 dollars). (dpa/NAN)
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