Government has announced 50,000 cedi cash package for thousands of persons displaced by floods caused by continuous torrential rains in the Upper East Region in the last week.
Victims have since Friday been receiving various relief items from the government and a lot more are being transported to the region to ameliorate the plight of the affected whose homes have been destroyed.
“Government has also provided cash of 50,000 cedis… to deal with the immediate needs of the families that have been affected,” Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia announced Saturday at a durbar in Moyoro in Kassena Nankana municipality.
Dr Bawumia is leading a government delegation to the area to assess the extent of damage caused by the floods, commiserate with the victims and identify the kind of help government could offer them.
Official figures show 26,081 persons have been displaced by the floods in the region as at Friday, October 19 with a reported 21 deaths and 19 injuries. Over 10,000 of the displaced are children.
A total of 5,328 houses have so far been affected.
The Upper East Regional Red Cross Society has erected tents to house pregnant and nursing mothers who have been affected by the floods. A foldable plastic portable drinking water cans have been provided for the victims.
“This is just our initial contribution to deal with what is happening. As we assess the situation we will intervene as required,” Dr Bawumia assured the affected persons.
He has meanwhile directed all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to ensure strict compliance of building regulations to avoid the recurrent of the building collapse, stating “The way we build sometimes doesn’t help when the rains come with this type of force”.
Dr Bawumia said government was working on a lot more relief items to be distributed to the victims.
These items include rice, blankets, cooking oil, basins, insecticides spray, mosquito nets, soaps, mattresses, roofing sheets and water purification tables.
“These are to deal with the immediate needs of the people,” Dr Bawumia said.
He added, “Government will do everything in our power to assist you go through this very, very difficult period”
While expressing the government’s “deepest condolences” to the people, the vice president said “we are with you not just today; we are with you here today, we are with you tomorrow”.
The chief of Mayoro, Dr. Peter Atupaare III thanked the government for coming to their aid and advised residents to always seek technical advice when constructing houses.
By 3news.com|Ghana