By Albert Futukpor, GNA
Buipe (S/R), Jan. 21, GNA – The Ghana Red Cross Society (GRCS) has begun distributing disaster relief items to 500 families, who were severely affected by last year’s flood disaster in the Central Gonja District of the Savannah Region, to enhance their wellbeing.
A total of 275 families at Buipe received their items on Saturday, 150 families at Kekali No 4, Kopedake, and Kafuliworide would receive theirs on Sunday, and 75 other families at Adape, and Centre at Tuliwe were to receive their items on Monday January 22.
The items included dignity and hygiene kits made up of toothpaste, soap, towel, sponge, pomade, sanitary pads, detergent, as well as hand washing equipment, amongst others related to menstrual hygiene including two 20-litre water gallons.
Other were insecticide treated bed nets and two blankets, while persons living with disabilities, pregnant women, and aged persons would further receive a cash grant transfer of up to GHS4,000.00 within the next two weeks to support their livelihoods.
Mr Solomon Gayoni Gbolo, the Secretary General, GRCS, at the presentation of the relief items to the beneficiaries said the gesture was to help ensure the health, wellbeing, dignity, convenience, and livelihood restoration for the affected persons.
He said the GRCS was at Akosombo and Buipe earlier with immediate emergency assistance and “Today, we are here as part of broader disaster relief operation rolled out from the Central Gonja to North Tongu and South Tongu. We hope to reach 12,000 affected people from 2,000 households.”
In late September last year, floods hit Buipe and some other communities in the district because of the Black Volta overflowing its banks following torrential rains upland, leading to the displacement of over 3,000 people in the district.
Mr Gbolo said donor fatigue and economic challenges were making it difficult to mobilise relief items to quickly respond to the suffering of disaster-stricken populations, urging the beneficiaries to make efficient use of the items especially the cash grant, to prevent a fall back into the bracket of the needy.
He also urged all leaders to take steps to establish preparedness measures to meet the challenges they were likely to face in future.
Mr Noor Baya Pwani, the Programme Coordinator – Ghana, International Federation of the Red Cross, expressed need for programmes to make communities aware of such disasters in terms of early action so that before the disaster struck, they could take quality steps to ensure that the loss that arose from the disasters was much more lessened.
Mr John Abdulai Jinapor, the Member of Parliament for Yapei-Kusawgu Constituency appealed for construction of new houses on higher grounds for the victims so that they would not be affected by floods again.
Some of the beneficiaries said the disaster had taken a toll on their lives and expressed delight that the items had come to support their wellbeing.
GNA