Deadly mudslides wiped out entire communities in Sierra Leone. Find out what happened and how you can help.
A: On August 14, 2017, torrential flooding and mudslides swept through Sierra Leone near the capital, Freetown. Thousands of people are missing and casualty numbers, in the hundreds, are increasing with each news report.
A: The torrential rain and mudslides have caused widespread damage in and near the capital. An estimated 3,000 people have lost their homes.
A: You can make a donation to GlobalGiving’s Sierra Leone Mudslide Relief Fund. Your donation will support immediate and long-term recovery efforts in the affected region. GlobalGiving has relationships with many nonprofits in Sierra Leone and can get funds quickly to vetted, locally-driven organizations that are best-positioned to provide immediate relief and to drive long-term recovery in their own community.
A: GlobalGiving’s partners in Sierra Leone provide a range of services in areas such as disaster recovery, healthcare, education, and economic development. GlobalGiving will leverage these existing partnerships to provide rapid and long-term relief to mudslide survivors.
A: Many of the impoverished areas of Sierra Leone’s capital are close to sea level and have poor drainage systems, exacerbating flooding during the rainy season, according to the Associated Press. Deforestation for firewood and charcoal is also one of the leading factors of worsening flooding and mudslides in Sierra Leone, the AP reported.
A: Yes. President Ernest Bai Koroma said Sierra Leone needs “urgent support” now for thousands of people hit by mudslides and massive flooding in the capital. He said entire communities had been wiped out and that the “devastation was overwhelming us.”
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