World Food Programme supports flood victims
VICTIMS OF the recent floods in the Upper East Region have received food and non-food relief items from the World Food Programme. The programme’s support followed a request by the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council and the National Disaster Management Organization for relief assistance to ease the hardship inflicted on victims of the floods.
In all, a total of 220 metric tons of food items, made up of 3,624 bags of Maize, 518 bags of Beans, 593 cartons and 86 bags of Iodized salt, were presented to NADMO to be shared equitably among victims in Bawku and Bolgatanga Municipalities, Bawku West, Talensi, Nabdam, Kessena-Nankana East, Bongo, Builsa and Garu-Tempane districts.
Before presenting the items at Yikene in the Bolgatanga Municipality, the Head of the Northern Sector Office of the World Food Programme, Mr. Aboubacar Koisha, said apart from the assistance to flood victims in the Upper East Region, some 15, 200 flood affected people in the Northern and Upper West regions were also going to receive assistance to bring the number of beneficiaries across the three regions of the North to almost 30,000.
According to him, the number one strategic objective of the United Nations World Food was to save lives and protect livelihoods during emergencies including disasters such as floods stressing that, “this is a clear and fundamental core responsibility and expectation of the organization. It is in this context that World Food Programme is pleased to assist the flood-affected victims of the Upper East”.
After its assessment of the September 2012 flooding, the National Disaster Management Organiszation says a total of 14, 380 people across the Upper East region alone, were affected as a result of the
spillage of excess water from the Bagre and Kompenga Dams in Burkina-Faso into the Volta River in Ghana. This number also includes those who were affected as a result of heavy down pour across the region within the same period.
The Regional Coordinator of NADMO, Mr. Patrick Akake assured that the food items will be shared among the affected victims, adding that those who were severely affected will be served first before others.
The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr. Mark Woyongo was hopeful many more help will come in to alleviate the sufferings of the affected people and communities, including funds to work on the affected roads and culverts which were also damaged.
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