Working with the Government of Sierra Leone’s crisis coordination lead, the Office of National Security (ONS) UK aid is responding to needs and helping ensure vital humanitarian assistance is getting to people caught up in the crisis.

The £5 million package of funding is new money, targeted at the immediate needs of the affected communities themselves, as requested by the ONS. The funds will support:

 Provision of clean water and essential medicines and sanitation facilities for up to 5,000 people, vital to stopping the spread of deadly diseases such as cholera;

• Provision of food, water and counselling for 1,500 children;
• Provision of emergency items, such as clothing and bedding, for 4,000 children; and
• Emergency funding to meet needs on the ground as they continue to evolve.

Through existing UK-funded programmes in Sierra Leone, we are working with the Government of Sierra Leone and NGO partners to provide assistance, including helping hospitals maintain stocks of critical drugs. UK aid is also supporting disaster response experts from the World Health Organisation to reduce the risk of the spread of disease.  Two world-leading humanitarian experts will arrive in Freetown on 18 August to provide specialist advice and expertise to help with response efforts.

 The British High Commissioner, Guy Warrington, said:

“I welcome the £5million of new money which the UK government is providing to support Sierra Leone at this tragic time. I have visited Regent and Lumley, and seen for myself the appalling devastation and hardship which the floods have caused. As we have always done, the UK stands together with the government and people of Sierra Leone in adversity. We are ready to help the country deal with both the short and long-term consequences of this tragedy.”  

 Notes to Editors

 The £5m announced today is new money specifically for the humanitarian crisis in Freetown, Sierra Leone following this week’s flooding and mudslides.

• By pre-positioning critical supplies such as food and medicine, as well as providing training on emergency operations, we have enabled the Government of Sierra Leone to respond quickly.
• The Ministry of Health and Sanitation has also activated the emergency 117 number, originally supported by the UK and used to report suspicious deaths during the Ebola epidemic, to ensure all those that need community support can access it.
• We have offered the Government of Sierra Leone vital humanitarian supplies, including generators and tents, to help those affected and stop the potential spread of disease.
• The UK’s response to this disaster goes beyond the support provided by the British Government – British NGOs and businesses have been quick to step forward to offer vital help.
• This is an ongoing and evolving situation of which details are still emerging – we remain open to doing more as a clearer picture is established.