Mudslide and flooding in Freetown
After days of heavy rain, at least 6,000 people have lost their homes due a mudslide and subsequent flooding in Freetown last week.
500 have died across the region, while a further 600 people remain missing.
50 injured arrived at our Surgical Centre the day the flooding began and our team worked non-stop, setting up as many additional beds as possible.
EMERGENCY has been working in Sierra Leone since 2001, when we took over an abandoned medical clinic in Goderich and turned it into a Surgical Centre, and later expanding to include a Paediatric Centre.
In 2014 and 2015, we were on the frontline of the fight against Ebola, setting up treatment centres and First Aid Posts.
The epidemic had unfortunately weakened a healthcare system that was already in a precarious state.
Our commitment towards the people of Sierra Leone continues: after last week’s flooding we re now strengthening our triage service to prevent a possible cholera or other infectious epidemic.
#Sierraleone, mudslide in Freetown. Over 40 patients referred to our hospital. Ready to take care of others coming from the local hospital.
— EMERGENCY (@emergency_ong) August 14, 2017