Minister says long-term solution to effects of flood victims is needed

Wa, Oct 3, GNA - Mrs Winifred Dy-Yakah, Deputy Upper West Regional Minister, said on Wednesday that houses affected by recent floods in the north needed to improve if such disasters were to be prevented or minimised.

She said apart from the immediate need for food and medical attention, flood victims in the three northern regions needed to be assisted to rebuild their houses to withstand future floods.

She appealed to non-governmental organisations, development partners of the country and other concerned individuals and institutions to help the victims to put up improved houses by assisting with cement, roofing sheets and other building materials.

Mrs Dy-Yakah said this when she received 300 bags of rice, 10 bags of sugar and 10 gallons of cooking oil donated by the Northern Education Trust Fund (NETFUND) for distribution to school children in the affected communities in the region.

Colonel George Luri Bayorbor (RTD), acting administrator of NETFUND who presented the items, said the items were part of the 200 million-cedi the fund raised for flood victims in the northern regions. The core business of NETFUND is to promote education in Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions.

The mud-thatched houses could not withstand the heavy floods as they collapsed under the heavy rains.