Red Cross to give relief items to Bawku conflict victims

Bolgatanga, Aug 15, GNA - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in collaboration with the Ghana Red Cross Society (GRCS), will distribute relief items to conflict victims in Bawku in the Upper East Region this weekend.

The items, which include maize, beans, cocking oil and salt valued at 140,000 Ghana cedis, have already arrived in the region under the care of the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC).

One thousand households expected to benefit from the relief items would each receive 60 kilograms of maize, 20 kilograms of beans, 10 litres of cooking oil and 1 kilogram of salt.

Professor Stephen Adei, the President of the GRCS, who presented the items to the RCC, said it was the second phase and that a similar presentation was done in the region last July.

He said through the support of the two bodies, over 300 houses made up of two bedroom units, were constructed for flood victims in the region.

Professor Adei entreated the people to desist from resorting to violence to settle their difference but rather use dialogue because the price of peace was cheaper than conflict.

He appealed to politicians, who would want to foment trouble in the forthcoming election to desist from that.

He said the visit to the region was also to conduct assessment of the impact of flood and identify flood prone areas so as to put in place contingency measures.

Professor Adei commended the security agencies, the ICRC and the Government for restoring peace in the area and urged the people to give peace a chance to pave way for development.

Mr Sebastian Brack, the Regional Communication Coordinator for ICRC, stated that the Council's mandate was to protect and assist victims of violent conflicts.

He stressed that ICRC would continue to work with the GRCS to strengthen emergency response situations particularly in the three Northern Regions.

Mr Samuel N'lary, the Chief Director of the RCC applauded the work of the relief agencies and the Red Cross had supported so well the flood victims in Bawku.

The Regional Commander of Police, Mr Ofosu-Mensah Gyeabour urged people, who had fled from the conflict area to return to work since peace had returned.

He said the perpetrators of the conflict would be brought to book and appealed to people, who had information on trouble causers to volunteer information to the security personnel for action.