MONROVIA, January 10, 2024 – The World Bank has allocated US$450,000 in response to the Liberian Government’s emergency plan to address the plight of Liberians affected by the recent gasoline tanker explosion in the rural Liberian town of Totota, Bong County. This amount will help to address constrained technical and financial capacity to treat trauma and respond to other emergencies and will facilitate the deployment of a specialized medical team from Sierra Leone to boost the emergency response.
“The World Bank is saddened by the devasting injuries and loss of lives resulting from the recent gasoline tanker explosion in Liberia. We extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of those lost and are hoping for the full recovery of all those injured. We are eager to support the health authorities working around the clock to respond to this emergency guided by the long-term goal to strengthen the national health system in a sustainable manner,” said Robert Taliercio O’Brien, World Bank Country Director for Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
Funding was made available through the existing Institutional Foundations to Improve Services for Health (IFESH) project aimed at improving health service delivery to women, children, and adolescents in Liberia. The Bank’s support will help ensure uninterrupted provision of medical oxygen for patients in intensive care and delivery of medical supplies needed for the emergency phase, among other urgent needs. Also, the funds will help provide specialized nutritional support for patients with severe burns, high-level traumas, and ICU stays; social and psychological support for dependents (mainly children, disabled and women) of affected/deceased in the accident; and other treatment for victims of the explosion.
Since the explosion of the gasoline tanker on December 26, 2023, an estimated 70 persons have been confirmed dead, 37 of whom from medical facilities in Montserrado and Margibi counties. Currently, there are 101 persons with severe burns admitted at the following hospitals in Montserrado, Margibi, and Bong counties: John F. Kennedy, 14th Military, St. Joseph Catholic, and Phebe. So far, 6 persons have been discharged from the Phebe Hospital in Bong.
In Monrovia: Michael Nyumah Sahr, (231) 886-514-321, msahr@worldbank.org
To learn more about the World Bank’s work in Liberia: https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/liberia
To learn more about IDA: https://ida.worldbank.org/en/ida
For more information, visit: www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/western-and-central-africa
