Liberia: Floods - Jun 2024

According to Liberia’s National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), recent unprecedented floods in Liberia have killed two people and displaced nearly 50,000. The torrential rains on 28 June displaced 8,000 people, and severely damaged homes, schools, and hospitals in Montserrado, Margibi, and Grand Bassa counties, according to a NDMA official. The NDMA has called for international support, with a USD 10 million requirement for emergency relief. With the rainy season far from over, an estimated 100,000 people remain at risk of flooding, storms, and coastal erosion, with heightened health risks anticipated. (OCHA, 16 Jul 2024)

A joint assessment conducted by the NDMA, local community structures, and the Liberian Red Cross Community-Based Action Teams (CBATs) reported that 47 communities in Monrovia have experienced flooding over the last three days. Cape Mount and Bong counties reported 28 affected communities and villages. [...] The Liberia Meteorological Department has predicted continuous rains between May and September 2024 across six counties: Montserrado, Bomi, Cape Mount, Margibi, Grand Bassa, and Maryland (coastal). The affected populations have lost valuable household items and are exposed to risks of disease outbreaks, loss of habitat (sheltering opportunities), livelihood mechanisms, and water source pollution. About 68% of the affected people are women, children, and other vulnerable groups, including the physically challenged and single mothers, who are seeking shelter in temporary facilities (public and private buildings) and with neighbours and relatives in adjacent unflooded communities. (IFRC, 17 Jul 2024)