Sierra Leone: Landslide and Floods Situation Update no.9, 5 September 2017

Situation overview

Three weeks on from the landslide and initial flooding, most pillars are operational and the Office of National Security (ONS) Situation Room collates information from the two temporary shelters sites and six Incident Response Centres (IRCs) daily. The second shelter site, Juba Barracks, is still empty ten days after the initial set-up and the slow pace of construction is worrying.

The distributions of food and non-food items have reached over 85% of flood and landslide affected people. Cash transfers should now replace in-kind distributions and complete the emergency phase by alleviating basic constraints as well as social and educational issues. There is a need to clearly distinguish the ongoing response efforts from recurrent needs which may arise from localised flash floods.

The rainy season continues; during the weekend, several areas were flooded and some shelters, as well as the relocation spot at Old Skool had some tents flooded and people moving into buildings. Concern was raised that tents are inadequate given the current rainy season, call for alternatives to tents as well as long-term housing solutions.

Chlorination, distribution of aquatabs and water trucking remains key priorities to prevent epidemics in the affected areas. Improving the daily reporting rate of health facilities should also be highlighted.

The Ministry of Health and Sanitation, in collaboration with WHO, UNICEF and partners are doing an oral Cholera vaccination prevention campaign. The operational sites for Cholera are identified. The International Coordination Group (ICG) has now approved 1,036,000 doses of Oral Cholera Vaccine (Euvichol) for 518,000 beneficiaries as an additional protective measure in affected communities. Vaccination exercise is expected to start in two weeks.