Flood victims being assisted to rebuild houses

The National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) would soon distribute cement to the flood victims in the Upper East Region to enable them to rebuild their destroyed houses. It is expected that the concrete structures would be able to withstand future floods unlike the mud houses, Mr Anderson Anafo Nabia, Regional Coordinator of NADMO said on Monday. Mr Nabia was briefing personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces Staff College who are on a study tour of the Region to acquaint themselves with the situation in the area. They would also see how best they could assist the flood victims and also access the health situation. Mr Nabia told the officers that the situation was now under control and that the major problem facing the victims was food shortage. He said NADMO's stock was dwindling and "our fear is how we are going to feed them from February to May, which is the dry season", he said. Mr Nabia said food was now expensive in the area and that a maxi bag of maize in Bolgatanga which used to sell GH¢20 in October now sells at GH¢40, "Two kilogrammes of groundnuts which sold at GH¢1.20 now sells at GH¢2.00, while a bunch of vegetables now sells at 20GP instead GP10. Dr Agana Nsire, Deputy Director of Health Services who briefed the officers on the Health situation, said there was no serious health problem caused by the floods. He said no death had been recorded from childhood diseases like measles at any health centre since the year 2000 and also no cases of Polio. He said the health sector had intensified its Public Health Services to prevent diseases, and was yielding good results. Mr Alhassan Samari, Regional Minister told the Officers that the floods caused the loss of 13,880.55 tonnes of food and affected badly, the food security in the region. The Officers would tour all the districts and some communities in the region.