China donates water tankers, fire engines to Sierra Leone

FREETOWN, April 27 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese embassy in Sierra Leone on Wednesday donated 15 water tankers and two fire engines to Sierra Leone to help enhance the West African country's water supply and safety in the international airport of Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone.

Speaking at the donation ceremony, the Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone Hu Zhangliang said the donated items were the best of their kind produced in China and equipped with the latest technology.

"This donation is another vivid demonstration of the continued growth of China-Sierra Leone friendship and one of the concrete steps taken by China to support Sierra Leone's development," he said.

Sierra Leone's Minister of Water Resources Philip Karimu Lansana thanked the Chinese government for its continued support of the West African country.

"These bowsers will add to the existing ones that will ameliorate the water situation in areas where there is inadequate or no network in Freetown. We are, therefore, very grateful to the Chinese government for this timely assistance," he said.

During the ceremony, Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio said that low access could cause children to go and fetch water and lose study time and that would expose them to social risks, adding that his government's focus was on human capital development. "The water bowsers will be used to enhance water service delivery to low-income communities in the western area."