— To Strengthen Early Disaster Response in Liberia
By Perry B. Zordyu
Liberia is no stranger to recurring disasters. Each year, lives andlivelihoods are disrupted by floods, coastal erosion, storms, fires, and disease outbreaks.
The impact goes far beyond destroyed homes and damaged infrastructure it affects families, health systems, education, food security, and community well-being.
Farmlands are washed away,transportation networks break down, households are displaced, and communities struggle to rebuild.
The cost is not only economic-it is profoundly human.In a major step toward preventing avoidable loss and strengtheningnational preparedness, the Liberia National Red Cross Society, withsupport from the Swedish Red Cross, jointly convened a High-LevelNational Dialogue on Anticipatory Action on Disasters in Liberia along with key Government Ministries and agencies, including the National DisasterManagement Agency and Liberia Meteorological Service (LMS).
Held under the theme “Enhancing Resilience through Anticipatory Action in Liberia,” the dialogue was also attended by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health, the National Public Health Institute of Liberia, Armed Forces of Liberia, UNICEF, Eco-bank Liberia, and other humanitarian and technical partners.
The high-level National Dialogue aimed to strengthen national coordination, build shared ownership, and advance the development of a National Anticipatory Action Implementation Plan that will position Liberia to act before disasters strike aligning the country with global best practices in disaster risk management.
A Shift Toward Proactive Disaster
Management Opening the dialogue, the Secretary General of the Liberia National Red Cross, Mr Gregory T. Blamoh, emphasised that Liberia can no longer wait for disasters to strike before taking action.
”Early warnings must lead toearly actions. Acting before a hazard becomes a crisis is the heart ofanticipatory action, and it is essential if we are to save lives and reducesuffering.”
Mr Blamoh highlighted the outcomes of a recently completed Multi-Risk Feasibility Study, which identifies forecastable hazards, potential triggers, and the systems Liberia must strengthen to make anticipatory action a reality.
The study, conducted with the support of the Swedish Red Cross and the IFRC, represents a major milestone in the country’s resilience agenda.
Mr Blamoh also outlined priority areas, including strengthening early warning systems, establishing pre-arranged financing, improving community preparedness, and enhancing inter-agency coordination.
The Liberian Red Cross Secretary General also stressed that anticipatory action requires collaboration, saying: “Disasters do not respect institutional boundaries neither should our response.”
Government Commitment to Implementation
Mr. Ansu Dorley, Executive Director of the NDMA, described the dialogue as “a defining moment for Liberia’s disaster preparedness agenda.”
He underscored that Liberia cannot continue waiting for disasters to occurbefore responding.
He emphasised that the outcomes of the dialogue must be respected, implemented, and integrated into national systems.
He noted that the dialogue on Anticipatory Action directly supports the government’s ARREST Agenda for improved governance and service delivery.
Supporting Local Capacity and Localisation of ResponseMs Karin Westerberg, Head of Policy and Thematic Support at the Swedish Red Cross, praised the progress Liberia has made in advancing anticipatory approaches.
She highlighted ongoing global challenges- rising climate-related disasters and declining humanitarian funding–and reaffirmed the importance of local capacity, noting: “Anticipatory action works best when rooted in national systems and built for the people most at risk.”
She reaffirmed her institution’s commitment to supporting Liberia’s preparedness efforts. “The future of effective disaster management is local.
Liberia’s strong volunteer presence and growing anticipatory action work are key to building resilience.”
