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.