Government urged to establish disaster fund

Mr. Ben Asimenu, Hohoe District Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), has urged the Government to establish a disaster fund towards effective prevention and management of disasters in the country.

He explained that such a fund could enable the organisation to generate enough money for human capacity building and procuring adequate logistics to facilitate its work.

Mr. Asimenu who made the appeal in an interview with the GNA at Hohoe, said apart from disaster prevention and management, NADMO engaged in rehabilitation of disaster victims, reconstruction of destroyed structures and mitigation of effects of disaster on victims and other activities.

He said the lack of adequate resources was seriously affecting NADMO's operations, and expressed worry that some district districts failed to allocate five per cent of the District Assemblies Common Fund towards contingency fund and disaster management.

Mr. Asimenu said the District office of NADMO supplied about 100,000 teak seedlings to disaster volunteer groups, schools and communities last year, as part of efforts to help prevent disaster

He also disclosed that with the support of the Hohoe District Assembly, NADMO distributed 100,000 palm seedlings to farmer-based co-operatives, under the President's Special Initiative on Oil palm.

Mr. Asimenu said NADMO, government and UNHCR were jointly assisting Togolese refugees in Leklebi Duga, Liati, Gbledi, Fodome Ahor, Wli and Alavanyo all in the area, with farm inputs so that they could go into agriculture to enable them to earn income.