Hundreds of thousands affected by floods

Recent floods in northern Ghana have affected some 291,573 people, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a report issued on Wednesday. In response, the UN food agency, WFP, will provide 900 mt of maize and 83 mt of beans as one month supply for approximately 50,000 vulnerable people. These include women, children and the elderly in Northern Region, (30,000), Upper East Region (12,000) and Upper West Region (8,000), OCHA said. The report, which summarised a recent meeting between the UN and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), added that because of flood-damaged farmland yields would be reduced by 50-60 percent, therefore mid-term assistance would include seeds and farming tools. It recommended that a technical assessment team conduct a comprehensive food requirements mission.