Cost of support to flood victims rises to GH₵40m-Chief of Staff

Chief of Staff Madam Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, leading the Inter-Ministerial Committee on floods, announced that the Ghanaian government has disbursed GH₵40 million to provide relief to individuals affected by the Akosombo Dam Spillage.

The allocated funds have been utilized to supply essential items, including food, clean water, shelter, medical supplies, toilet facilities, clothing, and solar lamps, to flood victims residing in eight districts downstream of the Volta Lake across three regions.

The disbursement of funds has been efficiently managed through the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the Volta River Authority (VRA).

Additionally, the government has committed GH₵220 million in the 2024 Budget for the Restoration Phase of the recovery process.

During athe Minister’s Press Briefing in Accra yesterday, Madam Osei-Opare highlighted that the government plans to source additional funding from the World Bank and Climate Change Agencies to further support the restoration of livelihoods for affected individuals.

The briefing aimed to update the public on the government’s interventions and emergency response following the dam spillage in September this year.

The Committee on floods, established by the President, has collaborated extensively with relevant ministries and agencies, including the VRA, NADMO, Environmental Protection Agency, Water Resources Commission, Ghana Hydraulic Authority, Roads and Highways, Health, Education, and Water and Sanitation ministries, to ensure effective and timely relief and rehabilitation efforts for affected communities.

Madam Osei-Opare detailed the substantial efforts made by the Committee to support flood victims in the Volta Region and northern areas following the spillage, pledging continued commitment to ensuring that no affected household will be left behind in the relief and recovery efforts.

The CEO of VRA, Ing. Emmanuel Antwi-Darkwa, provided updates on ongoing emergency response efforts across various regions. VRA, in collaboration with NADMO, has been actively providing shelter, food, clean water, sanitation services, and other essential supplies to flood victims.

These efforts will continue until normalcy is restored in the flood-affected areas.

Dr. Bob Alfa of the Water Resources Commission (WRC) detailed efforts to provide clean water to the affected communities, preventing the outbreak of waterborne diseases.
WRC, in collaboration with VRA, conducted a fumigation exercise in all impacted communities, contributing to improved living conditions.

Dr. Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe from the GHS emphasized heightened surveillance on priority diseases in affected districts and regions, focusing on preventing the spread of diseases such as cholera, malaria, respiratory infections, skin infections, and mental health issues.

The collaborative efforts of various agencies underscore the government’s commitment to addressing the challenges faced by the affected communities and ensuring a comprehensive and timely response to the crisis.

Mr Seji Saji, the Deputy Director-General, NADMO, said 39,333 persons were affected by the spillage in eight districts in Volta, Eastern and Greater Accra regions.

Of the figure, over 20,000 of them were staying with family and friends while 9,000 were sheltered in safe havens.

He said quite a considerable number of the affected persons had returned to their homes after the floods receded.

This, he said, was after they had fumigated their homes, and a structural integrity assessment was done by an Inter-Agency organisation in the affected communities.

Dr Yaw Osei-Adutwum, the Minister of Education, said his Ministry had worked closely with the District Directorate of Education of the affected communities to ensure pupils and teachers return to school.

He said more than 42,000 pupils and teachers were affected by the floods and that measures had been put in place to ensure they resume lessons in earnest.

The Ministry was making efforts to procure textbooks and other teaching and learning materials for 121 basic schools that were affected and had their teaching materials destroyed by the floods.

Source:Zedmultimedia.com