Sierra Leone disaster: YoHRA calls for international aid to save lives

The President of Youth for Human Rights Africa (YoHRA), Francis-Xavier Sosu, has called on the international community to come to the aid of Sierra Leone as a mudslide claimed an estimated 200 lives.

According to a BBC report, The AFP news agency reported that the total death toll from flooding in and around the capital had risen to 312.

It was also reported that hundreds of people are likely to be left homeless following the mudslide.

The BBC again reports that a Sierra Leonean disaster management official, Candy Rogers, said that “over 2,000 people are homeless” as a result of the mudslide in the Regent area.

Responding to the news of the mudslide in Sierra Leone, the Human Rights Activist said, “every life in Africa counts. Though this clearly was an act of God, it also reveals the lack of proper planning on the part of city authorities in Africa.”

“Our respect for human life must go beyond political rhetorics and our actions as leaders must demonstrate the commitment to human life protection,” he said.

He said citizens in this day and age must not be left to the uncertainties of the weather when there is a Meteorological department paid by the tax of citizens and mandated to give appropriate warnings of these heavy downpours.

African leaders can do better, Francis Sosu stressed.

Mr. Sosu added that Sierra Leone was the Head Quarters of the then British West African Meteorological Services that was established in 1923 and that available data shows that the Sierra Leone Meteorological Department, an offshoot of the British West African Meteorological Service, was established on April 27, 1961 with the responsibilities of ensuring safety and well being of citizens and their protection against severe weather and devastation from natural disasters.

It is the view of YoHRA that Sierra Leon breached this duty to its citizens.

“Whilst we call on international support for surviving victims of this unfortunate accident, we also call on the Sierra Leonean government to do everything within its power to provide the appropriate social protection and support through its local disaster management institution,” said YoHRA President.

Every life in Africa counts, he reiterated.