MONROVIA, LIBERIA-In a significant stride toward alleviating the plight of flood-affected communities, United Youth, under the leadership of its Executive Director Timothy Kpeh has successfully secured support aimed at assisting over eleven thousand five hundred residents across Paynesville, Johnsonville, and potentially Barnesville.
The initiative comes in the wake of devastating floods that have left communities grappling with water contamination, health crises, and economic setbacks.
“We have been able to secure support that will meet the needs of slum victims,” Kpeh announced during a press briefing on Thursday, August 8, 2024.
“The effects of flooding are severe, with water source contamination being a significant issue. Our assessments indicate that access to clean drinking water has become a major concern in many affected communities.”
To address these challenges, the United Youth plans to collaborate closely with the Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC).
“Our goal is to connect hundreds of affected homes to a reliable water supply,” Kpeh explained.
“If possible, we will do even more because our engagement with partners will be strategic. We are interested in seeing the living conditions of our people improve.”
Beyond immediate water concerns, the organization is set to implement programs aimed at economic recovery and health.
Recognizing the disproportionate impact on women and children, United Youth intends to empower women whose businesses were interrupted by the floods.
“We will be engaging communities, especially those women who were affected, including their businesses,” Kpeh noted.
“We are going to empower them through small business opportunities so that they can come back strong.” Health interventions are also a priority, with plans to distribute hygiene supplies to mitigate disease outbreaks.
“Some of the children, according to our assessment, are currently sick, and their parents are seeking financial support to take them to the hospital for treatment,” Kpeh highlighted.
“Some ran out of food because of the situation. Parents were not able to continue their businesses, so that has brought a setback to our affected communities,” he added.
United Youth Field Teams are actively identifying affected individuals to ensure that aid reaches those who need it most.
“Our response will be strategic, targeting those who were affected, not just individuals who claim to be affected without evidence,” Kpeh asserted.
In a parallel development, Kpeh lauded the official appointment of George Nyango as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Commission.
“It’s a good thing to announce that our Acting CEO has been officially confirmed and appointed,” he said extending gratitude to President Joseph Boakai and the Liberian Senate.
“The issues of WASH cannot be overemphasized when talking about the living conditions in this country, he added.
However, Kpeh emphasized that more needs to be done to bolster the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Sector, urging the Government to prioritize WASH and nutrition in the national development agenda, particularly under the new ARREST framework.
“By highlighting the WASH and nutrition components of the development process, you will make a maximum impact in hard-to-reach communities where the Government cannot easily go due to poor road conditions and lack of other services,” he argued.
A critical aspect of this advocacy involves financial commitment.
Kpeh called on Vice President Jeremiah Koung who heads the Scaling Up-Nutrition Movement (SUM) to honor the pledge of allocating $i million USD in the 2024 National Budget for nutrition activities.
“As a civil society, we are interested in knowing the status of that million because it will motivate our development partners,” he stated.
Highlighting the Sector’s heavy reliance on external funding-currently at 98% from international donors-Kpeh stressed the need for sustainable, locally-driven solutions.
“When you have partners driving the Sector and providing 98% of the financing, the issue of sustainability becomes a problem because the partners will not be here forever,” he cautioned.
“It is the Government that needs to take the lead and demonstrate the political will through the allocation of finances and the implementation of what we have put on paper,” Kpeh said.
Concluding his address, Kpeh reaffirmed the United Youth’s commitment to collaborating with Government entities to achieve tangible improvements in the WASH and Nutrition Sectors.
“We are going to ensure that we support the Government and the National WASH Commission to achieve the development agenda that we are currently developing, and at the end of this process, we want to see WASH and Nutrition identified and not just placed under another sector, where there will be subsector. This is what we have been experiencing for some years, and there has been no improvement, he affirmed.
