Drinking water a priority for flood victims

The priority needs for people in regions affected by recent floods in Ghana include immediate access to drinking water, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its situation report on for 5-10 December.

A supply of clean water needs to be provided by distributing water tanks and chlorinating contaminated wells, the report said. About ten 50-kg drums of chlorine need to be bought in addition to five drums pledged by UNICEF.

Contaminated water sources include some 65 hand-dug wells and 101 dams in Northern Region, while 200 out of 1,500 boreholes there are not functioning. Some 835 wells and 89 boreholes in Upper East Region and about 190 water points in Upper West Region are also affected, OCHA said. Some 18 dams in Northern Region, nine in Upper East Region and 24 in Upper West Region need to be rehabilitated.

In addition to providing clean water, an in-depth survey of additional shelter, reconstruction and rehabilitation requirements has been finalised and one month's supply of food will be distributed shortly by the World Food Programme to some 50,000 people in the three affected regions, the
report said.