WFP BEGINS FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS FOR GHANA's FLOOD VICTIMS

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has began relief operations to reach thousands of Ghanaians badly affected by recent flooding.

WFP is initially providing food for 25,000 people in urgent need of assistance. The food commodities, valued at US$300,000, will include maize, beans, vegetable oil and salt.

“After responding to the short-term needs of those affected by floods, WFP will redouble its efforts to support the Government’s rehabilitation programmes,” said Ismail Omer, WFP Representative in Ghana. “These programmes will focus on rebuilding the lives of those who have lost all of their property, including farms and food stocks.”

WFP will provide immediate assistance to flood-affected populations in seven districts of the country with the help of the National Disaster Management Organization. Distributions began on Thursday November 25, 2010 in the Central Gonja and West Mamprusi Districts in the Northern Region, which have been some of the areas hardest hit.

Distributions will continue throughout the week in East Gonja, Kpandai in the Northern Region, Wa East and Wa West in the Upper West Region and the Krachi East District in the Volta Region.

Torrential rainfall in many parts of the country has resulted in heavy flooding that has affected more than 140,000 people.

The situation has been made worse by the spill-over of excess water from the Bagre and Kompienga dams in Burkina Faso, which in turn led to the overflow of Ghana’s Akosombo dam.

Beyond immediate flood relief operations, WFP will continue working toward its longer-term goals of mitigating the effects of climate change and recurrent flooding in the country. This will include collaboration with the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) and other partners on food-for-work activities, which provide food rations in exchange for work done with the aim of slowing soil erosion and land degradation in flood-affected areas.

WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. Each year, on average, WFP feeds more than 90 million people in more than 70 countries.