Africa-Press – Cape verde. The government announced the creation of a Crisis Office to immediately respond to the needs of families in Salamansa, on the island of São Vicente, affected by the heavy rains in the early hours of August 11th. National and international support is being mobilized to respond to the damage caused by the heavy rains that hit São Vicente and Santo Antão in the early hours of Monday.
The decision was announced by Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva in a post on his Facebook page after a visit to the area.
“We are already mobilizing, which is why we declared a state of emergency, to activate the National Emergency Fund, which is a national fund. At the same time, we are already in contact with international institutions, such as the European Union, the World Bank, and FIFA itself, which has already offered to provide support not only in the reconstruction of some sports infrastructure, but also humanitarian support, and we are developing strong partnerships here. But the essential thing is to have a plan and act immediately. That’s what we are doing, and with priority, as I said, on people,” he said in statements to the media.
“As decided by the Government, we will intervene immediately because many of these families need the minimum to guarantee their subsistence and enable them to rebuild their lives,” the Chief Executive later added.
Among the first measures, the Government intends to guarantee decent housing for those living in precarious situations, at risk to their lives, and to repair destroyed infrastructure, including roads and access routes.
To coordinate the response, according to the Chief Executive, a crisis office has already been created with representatives from the Ministries of Infrastructure, Inclusion and Social Protection, and Health.
The action focuses on both repairing material damage and providing psychological support to those affected.
“Yes, we already have, at the government level, the members of the government involved in this entire problematic situation, through the Infrastructure department, the department related to Inclusion and Social Protection, including the Health department, because it is also necessary to provide psychological protection and support. Everything is in place so that we can provide an effective response: first, to the people; second, to the infrastructure; and to resume life and rebuild São Vicente. Because this was so severe, we need to be on the ground to truly assess the scope and full impact of this destruction,” he assured.
Ulisses Correia e Silva emphasized that the Crisis Office will be tasked with providing attention, monitoring, and effective responses to minimize the effects of the disaster.
According to Ulisses Correia e Silva, the damage assessment is being conducted in conjunction with the São Vicente City Hall, “with the goal of ensuring a minimum income, guaranteeing access to food and healthcare, and allowing children to return to school at the start of the school year.”
When asked about the lack of advance warning from the National Institute of Meteorology and Geophysics (INMG), which claimed it lacked the equipment to predict the phenomenon, Ulisses Correia e Silva avoided assigning responsibility “without concrete information.”
The government declared a state of emergency in São Vicente and Santo Antão, the two islands hardest hit by the storm. So far, eight deaths have been recorded, and people are still missing, while searches and emergency response efforts continue.
At the end of the visit, the Prime Minister met with the São Vicente City Council to outline strategies and establish priorities, placing people and families at risk.
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