C/R recorded 26 disaster cases last year.

Cape Coast Feb 4, GNA - The Central Regional secretariat of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) in the last quarter of 2003 recorded a of total 26 disaster cases in seven districts.

The disasters, which stemmed from fire outbreaks, floods and rainstorms, affected 1,2026 people in the Assin, Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa, Mfantsiman, Agona, Awutu -Effutu-Senya, Upper Denkyira and Ajumako-Enyan -Essiam districts.

Mr Tony Joe Arkorful, regional administrator of NADMO made this

known at a three-day 'trainer of trainers' and disaster management and conflict resolution workshop, at Cape Coast on Wednesday.

The workshop, which is being organised by the Christian Council of Ghana (CCG), in conjunction with the local Council of Churches in the region, has 30 participants attending, and is geared towards building their capacity to manage disaster in their various communities.

It is also to establish a network among the various churches to enable them assist disaster victims.

Mr Arkorful said his organisation, spent an amount of 20 million cedis in providing disaster relief items to the affected victims, and urged the public to report any hazardous situations in their areas, for the necessary action to help stem further disasters.

He told the workshop that NADMO, was being restructured, and no longer concentrates on just providing relief services, but also trains people in income generating activities.

He said in this regard, 117 volunteer disaster management groups in the region, are engaged in poultry farming, piggery, cassava processing and snail farming.

He commended the CCG for organising the workshop and said it would help NADMO in its activities, particularly at the grassroots level, and urged other organisations to emulate the CCG.

Mr Arkorful mentioned the lack of funds, means of transport and other logistics, as the major problems hampering the activities of his organisation.

Mr John Hlo-Kwasidzah, relief coordinator of the CCG said the workshop was the contribution of the CCG towards disaster management and conflict resolution in the country, and that similar workshops have already been held in three other regions. 4 Feb. 04