LIFE IN FLOOD AREAS BACK TO NORMAL

Story: Zakaria Alhassan, Tamale

LIFE in the areas affected by floods in northern Ghana has bounced back to normal, with victims picking up the pieces. However, those who lost their homes to the floods are still putting up with friends and relations because of their inability to reconstruct their homes.
Even though the Northern Regional Office of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has received donations of roofing sheets, nails and wood from the government and other donors, the organisation is yet to distribute the items to the victims as a result of the non-availability of cement.
In an interview with the Northern Regional Co-ordinator of NADMO in charge of Relief Operations, Mr Chris Tanda, apart from the building materials, all other items had been distributed to the victims in the 15 affected districts of the region.
In all, 185,391 people were affected in the devastating floods that occurred in the area in the latter part of August this year.
The co-ordinator gave a breakdown of relief items received from the government and philanthropic individuals and organisations since the occurrence of the floods in the region as: 12,496 50-kilogramme bags of maize, 9,826 25- kilogramme bags of rice and 2,148 cartons of cooking oil.
The rest are 704 50-kilogramme bags of cowpea, 31,798 pieces of blankets, 1,744 plastic buckets, 9,734 pieces of mattresses, 22,550 poly mats, 2,610 plastic basins, 3,200 cups and 2,500 plates.
The items also included 20,000 sets of mosquito nets, 28 bales and 176 sacks of used clothing and 119 boxes of shoes.
“All these items I have mentioned have been distributed to the victims, except the ones we have just received,” Mr Tanda said.
He further disclosed that ¢ 274 million had been received in the form of donations and that part of the money had been used in the handling and hiring of vehicles to cart the items to the designated locations in the districts.