Vice President leads WFP to distribute food to flood victims

Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Thursday led the World Food Programme, the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) and other partners to distribute food to flood victims in the Northern Region.

The package, which included bags of maize, rice and oil and distributed to victims in Jagna in the Mamprusi West and Tikali in Gonja Central Districts of the Northern Region, symbolized the week long distribution to victims in the Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Volta and the Brong Ahafo Regions.

Speaking at both locations, Vice President Mahama said the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority Board would be inaugurated before the end of the year, after which they would identify all flood prone areas to report to government for action.

He said the donation was part of the contributions from development partners totaling $5 million, while government had also contributed GH¢5 million towards the upkeep of the victims.

Vice President Mahama said a flood implementation committee would soon identify and counsel all those, who were moved upland, during the construction of the Akosombo Dam to return to those areas, as some of them had reportedly returned to the low lands.

Mr Ismail Omer, Country Director of the World Food Programme, promised that his outfit would collaborate with SADA to implement the “Food for Work” activities to mitigate the effects of climate change and recurrent flooding in the country.

“The Food for Work project will provide food rations in exchange for work done with the aim of slowing soil erosion and land degradation in the flood affected areas.”

He said the programme would initially provide food for 25,000 in urgent need of assistance valued at $300,000.

Mr Omer said as a long-term measure, WFP would partner government to rehabilitate all victims who have lost their property and farmlands.

Source: GNA