As Liberia enters the dry season, citizens are increasingly worried about the threat of fire disasters across the country.
To make matters worse, the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning is reportedly failing to allot funds to the Liberia National Fire Service (LNFS); DN News has gathered.
A request, a copy of which is in the possession of DN-News, was made by the LNFS to then-Acting Finance Minister Anthony Myers. The LNFS sought a $1.8 million allotment to purchase fire trucks and other essential items. However, since the request was made on August 7, 2024, no funds have been allocated to the agency.
Currently, the LNFS has only one functioning fire truck, and it receives little to no fuel assistance from the central government to respond to fire emergencies.
During the dry season from January to March 2024, several Liberians lost their lives in fire disasters, while millions of dollars worth of property were destroyed.
Both Speaker of the House of Representatives, Fonati Koffa, and Montserrado County Senator, Saah Joseph, are survivors of past fire disasters.
In light of these tragedies, the Legislature appropriated US$3 million in the 2024 national budget for fire disaster response.
However, this amount was later reduced to $2 million, and yet, the Ministry of Finance has not released any funds to the LNFS.
“Our ordinary citizens are victims of fire every day, and some of them cannot even afford one meal per day. Their homes and properties get damaged, and some lose their lives, stories we don’t even hear about,” Senator Saah Joseph stated during a Senate plenary sitting while making an appeal for the funds to be allocated.
Without the necessary allotment, Liberians fear that the Fire Service will be ill-prepared to manage the expected increase in fire incidents during the dry season.
Fire disasters are common during this period, and the lack of proper equipment could critically hinder the LNFS’s response capabilities.
Sources within the LNFS report that despite the delay, the agency continues to urge the Ministry of Finance to prioritize the release of the funds, emphasizing the need to be prepared for the challenges of the dry season.
