Zanwara (NER), Jan 26, GNA – The CARE International in Ghana, a Non- Governmental Organization, has supported 280 victims of the 2020 flood in the Upper East and North East Regions.
As part of the its measures to enable the victims recover and rebuild their collapsed structures, each beneficiary from three districts including; Mamprugu-Moaduri District in the North East Region, and Nabdam and Talensi Districts in the Upper East Region was given GH¢410.00.
It would be recalled that in the September 2020, the northern part of Ghana particularly’ the Upper East and North Regions were hit by heavy floods caused by torrential rainfall and the spillage of the Bagre and Kompiega Dams from Burkina Faso.
The situation led to destruction of lots of property including; hectares of farmlands, collapsed of houses and loss of lives especially those along low-lying areas and the White Volta and its tributaries.
Speaking at separate functions to present the gesture to the beneficiaries, Madam Rose Tchwenko, Country Director, CARE International in Ghana, explained that as part of the organization’s Emergency Response Plan (ERP) they prioritized flooding as a major disaster in Ghana and undertook a joint assessment of the impact of the flood on livelihoods with the directorates of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO).
She noted that data from NADMO stated that about 98,017 people were affected by the floods, with 16 people losing their lives while about 5,400 houses, several kilometers of road, bridges, boreholes and 48,883 acres of cultivated farmland were destroyed.
“In the Nabdam District in the Upper East Region, elephants which were escaping from flood waters moved to farming communities and destroyed 70 acres of farmland,” she added.
The Country Director explained that the floods compelled most of the victims especially those with collapsed houses to seek shelter at public places including; schools and the support was to enable the vulnerable victims to reconstruct their houses and have a comfortable place.
Madam Gladys Assibi Atiah, Gender Advisor, CARE International in Ghana noted that reports revealed that most of the vulnerable among the victims were women and said about 53 percent adults who were affected by the floods were women and 57 percent of the affected population were boys and girls below 18 years.
She said the situation has polluted some of the water sources of some communities and there were concerns of increased exposure to COVID-19 by residents in locations affected by the floods.
As a result, the Gender Advisor, stated that in addition to the cash, CARE International in Ghana provided each beneficiary with a 30-litre water container, sieves and collaborated with World Vision Ghana to provide each beneficiary with 72 pieces of P and G water purification powder to enable clean their water before use.
Madam Agnes Loriba, Tamale Sub-Office Team Leader, CARE International in Ghana, noted that apart from collaborating the Information Services Department and the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to carry out sensitization across all the beneficiary districts on the spread and preventive measures of the COVID-19, it partnered the Ghana Health Service to screen all beneficiaries.
She said her outfit gave each beneficiary household 10 reusable nosemasks.
The beneficiaries expressed gratitude to CARE International in Ghana for the support and noted they had used grass to build around to be able to sleep and added that the gesture especially the money would be used to reconstruct their houses to have decent places to stay.
Madam Alogtanab Ajuik, a 60-year old woman said her money would be used to buy cement to make blocks to build an apartment while the nosemasks would protect her and her family against the spread of the COVID-19.
GNA