By MUHAMMED S. BAH
The heavy downpour which started around 17.00 hrs on Saturday, 23 July 2016, and stopped on the following day, Sunday, has 
affected many families in numerous villages in the Central River Region (CRR) of the Gambia, destroying their houses and foodstuff and killing small ruminants.
Foroyaa was informed by the residents in Jarumeh Koto village, Sami District, CRR North, that many households in their village have been rendered victims by this recent heavy rain.
Adama Ceesay,one of the victims, confirmed that more than 10 families were affected and that theyhave lost their houses, foodstuff, seeds, wells, compound fences and other valuable items in the flood water generated by the heavy rain. He said all the houses that were affected are built with mud bricks with cement plastering and corrugated iron sheets as roof, except one, which is a thatch house.
Mr. Ceesay said all the village taps are presently closed because the water bursts some of the pipes thus making it undrinkable.
“I’ve lost half of one of my two bedrooms and parlour mud brick house together with many of my valuables and that of my wife, including the rice for our consumption and groundnuts seeds for farming which were kept in two different barrels. We and our 8 children are really facing tough times as we have lost almost everything that we had in our house,” revealed Mr. Ceesay.
He added that he and his family had to be lodged in a neighbour’s house where they had to spend the night.
Alhagie Njie Jaiteh, a Quranic teacher and one of the victims, said his entire 4 bed room house as well as food stuff, furniture and other valuables were all destroyed by the rain.
He said the water has displaced him, his three wives and thirty children placed under his charge for Islamic education.
This household head and tutor has also lost his well which is inundated by the dirty moving rain water.
Meta Jaiteh, a mother of 8 children, revealed that her entire house collapsed.
Another resident of the same village, Samba Sidibeh, the head of a family of 15 members, also confirmed having lost his house and other valuables.
According to Mr. Ceesay,a lot of people in the village have lost their compound fences.
A similar disaster struck Bansang Sukurr Kunda, CRR South, according to Omar Dem, a resident, who confirmed it to this reporter on the phone.
Dem disclosed that a lot of houses and compound fences have collapsed.
He said the water has enterd the houses of one Lamin Ceesay and Fatou Touray, among others, carrying away their foodstuff and household items. He added that Madame Touray also lost two little goats which were carried away by the moving water.
Wassu village in CRR North, which is a local trading centre, was also said to have suffered a similar fate, as the heavy rain affected the movement of people carry on with their normal businesses.
Similar problems were also observe in Wassu where the flood was so heavy that people find it difficult to go about their businesses.
The victims are therefore soliciting for urgent assistance from government, non-governmental organisations and Good Samaritans to provide them with food, seeds, and other building materials to enable them to rebuild their collapsed houses and lives.
