NDMA’s Headquarters, Freetown, March 12 2026 – The National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) has successfully concluded a response intervention to assist schools and households affected by recent fire and windstorm incidents across seven districts in the country.
The response commenced on March 7 2026 in Kenema District and concluded on March 10 2026 in Tonkolili District, targeting communities whose educational facilities and homes had been devastated by the disasters.
The response intervention was led by the Deputy Director General of the NDMA, Sulaiman B. Sowa, who supervised the distribution of the relief items provided directly through the Office of the President.
The intervention targeted eight schools and four households across Port Loko, Kambia, Bonthe, Tonkolili, Kenema, Kailahun, and Bo Districts respectively, where fires and strong windstorms had severely damaged public learning facilities and disrupted the livelihoods of the affected households.
The affected schools each received ten bundles of roofing zinc and roofing nails to support the reconstruction of the damaged school structures to enable the timely restoration of learning environments. In addition, the impacted households were provided with essential relief items, including a bag of rice, cooking oil, and other household utensils to help ease the immediate hardship caused by the disasters and support their recovery process.
Speaking during the final phase of the response in Tonkolili District, Sulaiman B. Sowa emphasized the government’s unwavering commitment to supporting communities impacted by disasters.
“These disasters have significantly disrupted learning and affected livelihoods in several communities. The Government of Sierra Leone, through the NDMA and with the direct support of the Office of the President, is committed to ensuring that affected schools and households receive timely assistance to help them recover and resume normal life.”
He further noted that protecting public facilities and supporting vulnerable communities remain central to the NDMA’s mandate.
“Education is the backbone of national development. When disasters destroy schools, they threaten the future of our children. That is why the NDMA is working tirelessly to ensure that affected schools receive immediate support so that teaching and learning can continue without prolonged interruption.”
Among the beneficiaries was SLMB School in Kailahun Town, where a fire incident had severely affected the school’s infrastructure.
The Head Teacher of the school Ansumana Sesay, expressed profound appreciation to the government and the NDMA for the timely response.
“We are deeply grateful to the NDMA and the Government for coming to our aid at a time when our school was facing serious challenges. This support will greatly help us restore learning conditions for our pupils and bring hope back to our school.”
The NDMA’s intervention demonstrates the Agency’s broader commitment to disaster preparedness, rapid response, and the protection of essential public services across the country.
The NDMA hereby urges school authorities and community members across the country to remain vigilant and adopt basic fire prevention measures to protect lives and public facilities. The Agency also admonishes the public to adopt safe electrical practices and ensure the proper storage of flammable materials in order to reduce the risk of fire outbreaks in schools and homes across the country
