Ghana Red Cross supports flood victims

Five hundred families affected by floods in the Central Gonja and North Gonja districts of the Northern Region have received relief items to ameliorate their plight.
The beneficiaries reside in various communities, some along the White Volta and Black Volta, which were flooded as a result of the torrential rains experienced this year coupled with the spillage of the Bagre Dam in September.
The Ghana Red Cross Society (GRCS) with support from the Swiss Red Cross presented the items totalling 1000 blankets, 1000 mats, 500 buckets, and 1,500 pieces of key soap bars to the victims in their various communities including Kikale Number Four, Adape, Bonyamu, Yapei, Kokonye, Disa and Amedzrovi.
Last week, the GRCS also made similar donation to 1,700 families affected by floods in the Upper East Region bringing the total cost of its donations to flood victims in both regions to GHC 500,000.
Mr Saladin Mahama, National Disaster Management Coordinator of GRCS, who was part of the GRCS’s team to present the items to the beneficiaries in their various communities, advised them to use cement in building the foundations of their houses as this can better withstand heavy rains and floods.
He advised those along the river bodies to heed disaster warnings and seek better places to place their valuables such that when the floods come, they would be well protected.
Mr Mahama appealed to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to come out with early maturing crop varieties so that farmers can harvest before the spillage of the Bagre Dam occurs.
Mr Abdul-Rahamani Yussif, Northern Regional Manager of GRCS, acknowledged other stakeholders including the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) during the presentation of the items saying such stakeholders would also make presentations to flood victims in other parts of the region.
Mr Adzokatse Agbe Vincent, Assemblyman for Adape Electoral Area, who was amongst the recipients at Kikale Number Four, said the floods destroyed their houses whiles others lost their farm crops and expressed gratitude to the GRCS for the support.