A powerful rainstorm has reportedly unleashed havoc at Sabach Sanjal Constituency, North Bank Region, displacing at least 350 families in the 15 villages.
The rainstorm has left many homes beyond repair. The incident occurred at a time when the farming communities are facing the crucial period of the cropping season.
The affected villages included Dippa Kunda, Kubejah, Sanjal, Palem Wollof, Farato, Sarakunda, Kani Kunda, Loomen, Njail Sanjal, Tamba Koto and Kata.
Confirming the story in an interview with the Daily Observer, Hon Ousman Bah, the NAM for Sabach Sanjal Constituency, expressed shock at the damage caused by the storm, after an assessment visit to affected villages.
According to him, the storm has forced the victims to completely vacate their houses. He said the victims are being lodged either by relatives or other family friends, noting that most of the houses are in ruins.
He added that even the foodstuffs were not spared by the rainstorm, thereby making conditions unbearable for the victims. He observed that the conditions of the poor farmers have been deteriorating since the rainstorm struck his constituency.
“Their condition is really a concern, because if one should lose your house as a result of a storm, life gets very difficult for you. It is really unbearable and the rainy season is expected to intensify in the next few months,” he said, saying that the displace families need a home to live under normal conditions.
“The poor farmers have invested all they got in their possession in preparation. They have lost their valuable belongings,” Hon Bah told the Daily Observer.
The Sabach Sanjal parliamentarian then called on the government, disaster relief agencies, NGOs and other samaritans, to come to the rescue of his people, as urgent assistance is needed to restore normal conditions.