Monrovia, Liberia – In an effort to lower the high frequency of fire disasters in various regions of the nation, the Citizens United to Promote Development and Accountability, a democracy advocacy group, has put out five recommendations.
Victor Balo, the organization’s executive director, suggested, that the government openly recognize and treat the ongoing fire tragedy as a national emergency.
Mr. Balo suggested that the government look into the underlying causes of these recurrent fire tragedies and put preventative measures in place to protect the public while speaking at a press conference in Monrovia.
Balo urged the government and international community to give the victims of these tragedies the assistance and compensation they need in order to rebuild their lives with dignity.
The group emphasized how important it is to improve emergency services’ ability to react appropriately and successfully to fire emergencies.
In order to address the broader challenges of catastrophe risk management and community resilience, the executive director of Citizens United to Promote Development and Accountability emphasized the importance of collaborating transparently with civil society organizations like CUPDA.
He continued that the organization is extremely disturbed by the horrific string of fire tragedies that have devastated lives and property of Liberians in Monrovia and other areas on a regular basis.
“We have seen alarmingly frequent occurrences of similar disasters during the last two months. Not only have these occurrences destroyed homes, but they have also tragically claimed lives. The government’s response to this rapidly worsening situation has been glaringly and terribly insufficient.”
According to him, despite the severity of these events, there has been a conspicuous lack of public or policy statements from the government.
The CUPDA demanded swift action to stop this destructive trend and denounced the government’s neglect in the strongest terms. Noting that “international partners, humanitarian organizations, and allies of Liberia are urgently needed to provide assistance and resources to bolster our national response to these disasters,” Balo made an appeal to the international community to extend their support and solidarity to Liberia during this dire situation.
“The fire disasters that are still occurring in Monrovia and its surrounding areas are a clear and present threat to the social fabric of the community, and they require a response that is commensurate with their severity. CUPDA is standing with the victims of these fires and will not stop fighting for their rights and the accountability of those in positions of authority.”
Reported by: Augustine Octavius
Contact: +231777463963
Email: augustineoctavius@gmail.com
