Relief for communities hit by tidal waves

Accra, Sept. 19, GNA - Government is determined to bring relief to coastal communities and those in the three Northern Regions that lost property and livelihoods due to the recent tidal waves and flood that inundated them, Interior Minister Kwame Addo-Kufuor said on Thursday. Additionally, government would also ensure that short, medium and long term measures are taken to forestall, if not mitigate future destruction of property and livelihood in such communities. Thus, government has set aside the seven million cedis to assist such communities cope with the catastrophe.

Dr Addo-Kufuor gave the assurance when he interacted with the people of the five communities-of Dzita, Akplorwutorkor, Dakordzi, Atorkor and Vodza in the Keta Municipality in the Volta Region and Totope, Ada in the Dangme East District of the Greater Accra Region where the tidal waves hit a fortnight ago. Strong tidal waves swept through those communities rendering thousands homeless and destroying houses and other properties running into several thousands of cedis.

Currently, normal economic activities have resumed in those areas, whose inhabitants are predominantly fishermen and vegetable farmers. The communities have cleared roads linking other communities that were rendered impassable of sand that was deposited by the waves. Dr Addo-Kufuor told the people at separate interactions that their welfare was major concern of government and that every avenue would be exploited to ensure that life become comfortable for them. He said that in the short term, government would provide them with basic survival needs, and in the medium to long term, would engage experts from the 48 Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces to design culverts suitable to their terrain, and extend the sea defence project to those areas as well.

He cautioned the people not to sabotage efforts at bringing relief to them from the wrath of the sea or suffer the consequence, as reports received indicated that the unpatriotic among them had resorted to removing the stones used for the sea defence wall for other purposes. The communities appealed to government to assist them acquire fishing nets and other inputs to enable them cope with their losses. Items, including bags of rice, used clothing, rubber baskets and basins, plates and cups, blankets, mats, cooking utensils and tents were presented to them. The Minister was accompanied by officials from the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Wpr;d Food Programme (WFP), Ghana Red Cross Society, UNDP, UNICEF and ActionAid Ghana.