ECOWAS must adopt common disaster-preparedness laws – Sierra Leone Minority Leader
Sierra Leone’s Minority Leader has called on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to establish common laws and institutions for disaster preparedness, arguing that several countries in the region remain inadequately equipped to respond to climate-related emergencies. He said the absence of effective emergency-response systems was leaving communities vulnerable to the consequences of floods, mudslides and other disasters. Speaking to JoyNews’ Stephen Mensah, the legislator said ECOWAS should develop a regional disaster-preparedness framework that member states can adopt and enforce. According to him, the focus should shift from mobilising resources after disasters occur to putting systems in place that enable countries to anticipate and respond before lives and property are lost.