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Disaster-response unit to be expanded

    ABIDJAN

    Ghana's National Emergency Response Unit, responsible for managing disasters, is to have a permanent presence "in the shortest possible time" in all 10 regions of the country, Edward Akita, the deputy minister of defence, said on Tuesday.

    The unit, which is run by the armed forces, was set up because of a disaster on 9 May at the Accra soccer stadium in which 126 fans were killed in a stampede, Ghana Review International reported on Tuesday. Akita said the disaster had revealed the weakness of the emergency management system,
    according to the Web-based news service.

    He was speaking at a graduation parade for 900 cadets from Accra secondary schools who took part in a six-day training course in basic life-saving skills organised by the armed forces. The cadets are to serve as volunteers with the unit when disasters such as earthquakes, flooding and civil strife strike. They would work at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra, which has been selected as the primary centre for caring for the injured during emergencies.

    The unit is equipped with 10 ambulances and two helicopters.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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