Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Accra (Agenzia Fides)- In the grave situation caused by floods in three regions of northern Ghana, the local Catholic Church appealed for international solidarity. One of the first countries to respond was Germany which consigned through the German Ambassador in Accra, Dr. Marius Haas, a cheque for Euro 50,000 to Archbishop Charles Palmer-Buckle, Archbishop of Accra eand vice president of the Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference.
“The donation will cover two weeks of food aid for about 21,000 displaced persons who were in a very distressed situation due to the flood in that Region” Benedict Assorow, Catholic communications officer in Ghana told Fides.
Archbishop Palmer-Buckle expressed gratitude to the German government and the people of Germany for responding positively to the Church’s request and "pursuing a noble intention of contributing to alleviate the suffering of the flood victims."
The distribution of the relief items is being undertaken by the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese of the Catholic Church.
“The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has embarked on the raising of funds to continue the relief programme, in other affected areas, in collaboration with some Non-Governmental Organisations in order to complement the efforts of the government of Ghana” Benedict Assorow said.
As a result of the floods, the death toll in the Upper East Region keeps rising with 31 people officially reported dead. About 20,000 houses have collapsed rendering nearly 95,000 people homeless. Some of the displaced people are staying in schools and community centres while others are living with friends and relatives whose houses have not be destroyed by the floods. Others are living in the open air. Torrential rains which started since last month are the main cause of the flooding. The floods have affected agriculture, food security, road network, drinking water supply and the health of the people in the northern part of Ghana. In the Upper Region alone, over 12,000 hectares of farmland with an estimated production figure of 14,000 metric tones of cereals have been destroyed. About 11,000 livestock, including goats, sheep, and cattle got lost in the floods. A 20-member delegation made up of Ghana’s development partners recently paid a working visit to some of the affected areas. The team comprised representatives of some United Nations agencies such as the UN Development Programme (UNDP), World Food Programme (WFP), and the UN Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF). Others were the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID), and members of the European Union. The visit was to enhance the team’s appreciation of the magnitude of the disaster in order to come out with support in the areas of life saving, livelihood, and infrastructural development.
In Ghana some 260,000 people have been affected by floods (see Fides 20 September 2007). In the whole of Africa heavy rains have caused the death of 250 people and left 1.5 million homeless. The floods came as farmers were preparing to harvest crops, with devastating consequences for food security in many countries. (L.M.) )Agenzia Fides 21/972007 righe 39 parole 444)
