MONROVIA: For the last seven days, there have been heavy down pour of rain that has affected several communities with flooding, leaving residents homeless and displaced.
Although, there is currently raining season in West Africa, Liberia, which is situated along the Atlantic Ocean, has been experiencing intensified rainfall in recent days.
Flooding has severely affected several parts of Monrovia and its immediate surroundings including the densely populated and deprived Doe Community, Clara Town, Logan Town, Johnsonville, West Point, and main Broad Street among others.
The weeklong rainfall affected hundreds, if not thousands of citizens and residents as well as a long chain of businesses, religious and academic institutions among many others.
Most of the affected people are compelled by the ugly situation to seek sanctuary with families, friends and other close associates in other communities for time indefinite.
The many of the displaced residents were seen by our local community correspondents trying desperately to leave with whatever personal belongings they could salvage from the flooding that indiscriminately damaged most of their personal belongings including beddings, foodstuffs, and clothing, among others.
Nevertheless, several other affected persons are hesitating to leave from their flooded homes to safeguard other unmovable properties of theirs which may be vulnerable to roaming and heartless criminal gangs.
Monrovia and surrounding communities are notoriously built with substandard zinc structures which contravene un-enforced building codes.
Currently, there are unfavorable reports that hired contractors, have been building ‘rough-and-ready’ houses in alleys, waterways, and on wetlands with little or nothing being done by the relevant community and national authorities to ameliorate the ugly development. Even zoning laws are broken almost with impunity as drainages are being filled with garbage and other waste materials.
Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency warned people from building on wetlands to desist or face the consequences of their unlawful actions.
Despite the EPA’s repeated warning, some individuals and institutions including business owners are constructing on wetland and in alleys.
The population of Monrovia and its environs has sharply increased following the 15-year bitter civil war from 350,000 to over one million people.
Lots of rural inhabitants who migrated to Monrovia during the country’s decade-long and back-to-back civil war, and in search of education, jobs, and improved living standard among others are yet to return, triggering exponential increment of acts of criminality.
However, some residents of the affected communities have begun criticizing the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) led administration headed by former soccer legend, President George M. Weah, for doing little or nothing about their situation.
However, prior to Weah’s ascendency to the Liberian Presidency, flooding during raining season has been a major problem in both rural and urban parts of the country.
Nevertheless, the Weah led government, during the recent cabinet retreat held in Ganta, Nimba County, acknowledged the humanitarian situation that affected the communities.
