President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe of Togo and chairperson of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, as well as the West African Community expressed their affinity with the people of Sierra Leone.

President Gnassingbé, accompanied by Marcel de Souza, president of the ECOWAS Commission, travelled to Freetown on August 17, 2017 to give financial support to victims of floods and mudslides which occurred on Monday August 14, 2017.

On behalf of the community, Gnassingbe presented President Ernest Bai Koroma, his Sierra Leonean counterpart, a cheque of $200,000 from the ECOWAS Commission, another cheque of $100,000 from the West African Health Organisation, WAHO, and fund transfer of $100,000 from the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development, EBID.

Apart from the token by the community, Togo also expressed sympathy to victims of the disaster.  In that regard, on behalf of the Togolese people, President Gnassingbe donated $500,000.

It would be recalled that torrential rainfall and mudslides occurred on Monday, August 14, 2017 in and around the Sierra Leonean capital, leaving more than 312 dead, including 60 children.

More than 2,000 victims of the disaster have become homeless, and several houses and properties damaged by the disaster.

In a statement issued the day after the tragedy, de Souza, expressed the deepest sympathy of the regional organisation to the bereaved families, the government and people of Sierra Leone.

Aug 18, 2017 @ 16:05 GMT