NEWS RELEASE
YMCA OF SIMCOE/MUSKOKA
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The President of Sierra Leone has declared a state of national emergency following mass flooding and mudslides in Freetown, Sierra Leone on Aug. 14, 2017. The Red Cross is reporting over 400 dead and another 600 missing.
The YMCA of Sierra Leone has been asked to take an active role in providing humanitarian supports on the ground, specifically bringing food and non-food items to survivors in the area most affected by the floods.
“We are experiencing yet another catastrophe of massive scale and the death toll continues to rise, said Christian Kamara, National General Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, YMCA of Sierra Leone.
“For now we are burying the dead, looking after the victims the best we can and mourning as a nation. Thousands of families and children are in need of food and shelter. Our intervention will be to provide food and non-food items to the survivors, which we hope to do immediately, once we are able to get the funds. We thank you for your solidarity. Any support during this time of crisis is welcomed.”
The YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka is urgently asking individuals and organizations in the community to donate funds to help support the victims in Sierra Leone.
“In the wake of a decade-long Civil War that ended in 2002 and, more recently, an Ebola epidemic which took the lives of over 4000 people, Sierra Leone is one of the poorest nations in the world and is once again facing a crisis of catastrophic proportions,” says Rob Armstrong, CEO, YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka.
“It’s in times like these that it’s so important for those with so much, to reach out and support those with so little. With that, we are asking the community to please consider making a donation to support the YMCA of Sierra Leone's flood relief efforts. Your gift through this emergency appeal will go directly towards supporting the Y's efforts to provide relief to the survivors in the most affected areas.”
The YMCA is a global network, with YMCAs located in 119 countries worldwide, united by the passion to build healthy communities. Since 2005, the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka has partnered with the YMCA of Sierra Leone to assist with improving the lives of those living in the shadow of their devastating Civil War.
With the support of the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka, the YMCA of Sierra Leone has been able to deliver community wide programs such as youth job training and children’s education in pre and primary schools.
Please consider donating to the YMCA of Sierra Leone Flood Relief campaign. With your support, volunteers and staff will have the resources needed to support their communities in this time of crisis.
To make a donation, please visit SierraLeoneFloodRelief.ca. All donations will go directly towards the YMCA of Sierra Leone’s flood relief efforts.
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