WFP BEGINS FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS FOR GHANA FLOOD VICTIMS
25 November 2010
WFP BEGINS FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS
FOR GHANA FLOOD VICTIMS
ACCRA – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today began relief
operations to reach thousands of Ghanaians badly affected by recent
flooding.
WFP is initially providing food for 25,000 people in urgent need of
assistance. The food commodities, valued at US$300,000, will include maize,
beans, vegetable oil and salt.
“After responding to the short-term needs of those affected by floods, WFP
will redouble its efforts to support the Government's rehabilitation
programmes,” said Ismail Omer, WFP Representative in Ghana. “These
programmes will focus on rebuilding the lives of those who have lost all of
their property, including farms and food stocks.”
WFP will provide immediate assistance to flood-affected populations in
seven districts of the country with the help of the National Disaster
Management Organization. Distributions began today in the Central Gonja and
West Mamprusi districts in the Northern Region, which have been some of the
areas hardest hit. Distributions will continue throughout the week in East
Gonja, Kpandai in the Northern Region, Wa East and Wa West in the Upper
West Region and the Krachi East District in the Volta Region.
Torrential rainfall in many parts of the country has resulted in heavy
flooding that has affected more than 140,000 people. The situation has been
made worse by the spill-over of excess water from the Bagre and Kompienga
dams in Burkina Faso, which in turn led to the overflow of Ghana's Akosombo
dam.
Beyond immediate flood relief operations, WFP will continue working toward
its longer-term goals of mitigating the effects of climate change and
recurrent flooding in the country. This will include collaboration with the
Savannah Accelerated Development Authority and other partners on
food-for-work activities, which provide food rations in exchange for work
done with the aim of slowing soil erosion and land degradation in
flood-affected areas.