Floods: Press Update On Relief Activities

PRESS UPDATE ON RELIEF ACTIVITIES ONGOING IN THE NORTHERN PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.

In the last couple of days there have been consistent updates on the activities of the Cabinet Inter-Ministerial Disaster Relief Committee inaugurated by H. E. the President, to deal with the recent flood disasters in certain parts of the country. A joint assessment team is currently in the disaster zones conducting a general assessment of the situation on the ground.

The Minister of the Interior, the Minister for Agriculture and the Deputy Minister of Information and National Orientation are part of the team. Over the last two days, they have visited most of the affected areas. The team also flew to Daboya today to interact with the people who have been cut off due to the floods. They have made a presentation of food items including bread, kenkey, canned fish, and 500 bags of maize, 10 bags of salt, 500 bags of rice and 45 gallons of cooking oil to the people of Daboya.

NADMO has dispatched three vehicles to the Upper East Region this afternoon, with a third consignment of relief items from government. The items include plastic buckets, plates, cups, and mattresses, bags of rice and roofing sheets. Earlier donations received from some private individuals and organizations include cement, rice, clothing, and canned food items among others. Meanwhile personnel from the Military and the Navy are still assisting with ferrying people and also distributing blankets, tents, water purification systems, and food items such as maize, rice, and millet, in the Northern parts of the country.

The Cabinet Relief Committee met today with representatives of some professional organizations like the Ghana Institute of Surveyors, the Ghana Institute of Architects, the Ghana Institute of Planners, the Ghana Institute of Engineers, Ghana Telecom, the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and the Association of Road Contractors. At the meeting some measures to be taken were considered to enable government rebuild the infrastructure lost during the floods, prevent such disasters in future and progress with plans for the reconstruction of the affected areas.

Earlier today, the Ministry of the Interior took delivery of a consignment of relief items donated by the Spanish Embassy for distribution to the affected areas. Another consignment of non-food items donated by the Japanese High Commission is expected to arrive in Accra shortly. It includes 5 generator sets, 400 blankets, 384 portable jerry cans, 20 tents, 5 water tanks with a capacity of 3500L each, among others.

The Ministry is also expecting a package from the Salvation Army which will be arriving soon. It includes 100 shelter boxes each containing tents, sheets, cooking pots, blankets, ground sheets, water purification packs, plastic waste sacks, among others. The Chinese Ambassador has donated $30,000 towards relief activities ongoing in the country and GHACEM Limited has also donated 2000 bags of cement for distribution to the affected communities.

In a related development, the Ministry of the Interior has stated that Mr. Isaac Amoo, former NADMO Coordinator has been reassigned to the NADMO desk at the Ministry. Mr. Akrofi Asiedu, until now the Accra Regional Police Commander, has taken over as Acting National Coordinator. The change is expected to reinvigorate activities within NADMO, and also ensure greater efficiency and expediency.

HON OBOSHIE SAI COFIE MINISTER