By Emmanuel Mafelah, mafelahemmanuel29@gmail.com
GBARNGA, Liberia- Recent violent rainstorm that left hundreds of people homeless and made several injured in Gbalatuah, Zota District, Bong County have now received eighty bundles of zinc from three members of the County’s Legislative Caucus.
The Wednesday June 17, 2020 violent storm left behind a serious humanitarian situation affecting more eight hundred residents of the community, many miles from Gbarnga.
The storm disaster was triggered by torrential rainfall and thunder strikes that lasted for several hours before sibsideing.
At least 300 houses reportedly got damaged as a result of the storm incident with occupants forced to sleep in the open air after being made homeless. Since the incident, locals are still struggling to deal with the damage it left behind.
Public service delivery has also been hindered in the city due to the devastating consequences of the storm, which also badly affected some public facilities including the Gbalatuah clinic in the area.
But on Thursday June 25, 2020 in Gbalatuah, the District Representative Roberts Flomo Womba presented fifty bundles of zinc on behalf of his office and Liberia Deputy Speaker, Prince K. Moye.
He said their gesture is intended to restore hope to the hopeless espevially during this humanitarian crises in the country..
Rep. Womba revealed that hon. was Moye have provided twenty (20) bundles zinc while he (Womba) provided thirty (30).
On Saturday June 20, 2020, Senator Henry Willie Yallah sent thirty bundles of zinc to Gbalatuah for the strom victims and promised to do more in times to come.
Taking delivery of the materials, the storm victims lauded the Bong County lawmakers for their humanitarian gestures.
The Gbalatuah storm victims said they were frustrated to see their houses being de-roofed at a time where they are struggling to provide a daily meal for their children.
The locals are meanwhile calling on Philanthropists and government to quickly intervene the situation, adding that it will be in appropriate for them victims of the disaster be sleeping together amid the spread of the deadly Coronavirus.
One of the storm victims, who serves as Vice Principal for Administration at the William R. Turbort High School, Mr. Moses G. Golowon has disclosed that three buildings of the institution, including the auditorium, were unroofed by the storm.
According to Mr. Golowon, if nothing is done urgently by government through the Ministry of Education to reroof the structures before immediately, it will serve as a serious impediment to the re-opening of school for senior students to resume classes.
For her part, Bong County Superintendent Esther Y. Walker termed the situation as “unfortunate,” especially during the time when people are fighting against the deadly COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
She said that official communication regarding an aid for the victims in the area have been packaged by her office and forwarded to the office of her boss, the Internal Affairs Minister.
She noted that the communication is the beginning of government’s quick intervention into the tragic situation, which has left dozens of family heads homeless in the “twinkle of an eye” in Zota District, Bong County.