Food, drugs, shelter urgently needed for flood-hit areas

Food, drugs and shelter are urgently needed for people affected by recent flooding in northern Ghana, according to a situation report issued on Wednesday by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Food is the most pressing need, OCHA said, as even in areas where it is available it is not affordable, due to sharp price rises. Many fishing villages and farms have been damaged and food aid will be needed until the next harvesting period. All 13 districts in Northern Region, the largest of all the regions hit by the floods, have been “severely affected” and the Districts of East Gonja, West Gonja, Nanumba, West Mamprusi and Bole are “of particular concern,” OCHA reported. Tents, straw mats, blankets, mattresses, kitchen utensils and clothing are also needed. For classes to resume, displaced people will have to leave schools now serving as temporary accommodation and so provision of alternative shelter is critical. Drugs, medical equipment, purification of contaminated water are also in demand, OCHA said. Many areas are still covered with water and there are collapsed houses, schools, roads, bridges, dams and canals in the affected areas. Dams and canals need to be rebuilt for the dry season (December-March) farming, while roads and bridges need to be repaired so that relief items can be transported, the report said. The report is based on preliminary findings of a joint assessment mission conducted from 3 to 5 November by the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Ministry of Health, Ghana Armed Forces, UN agencies, USAID, Ghana Red Cross and NGOs.