President John Dramani Mahama has directed the immediate release of GH¢300 million from the Contingency Fund to finance emergency flood relief and long-term mitigation measures following severe flooding in parts of Accra and other communities in southern Ghana.
The directive was announced in a statement issued on Tuesday, June 30, by the Spokesperson to the President and Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu.
According to the statement, the funds are part of the government’s response to the widespread flooding caused by hours of unusually heavy rainfall that inundated several communities, displaced residents and damaged property.
Of the total allocation, GH¢150 million will be used to provide immediate relief for flood victims and affected communities in the southern sector of the country. The remaining GH¢150 million will finance flood mitigation measures aimed at reducing the incidence of flooding.
The President has also directed the deployment of personnel from the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana Police Service to support the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and other security agencies in ongoing rescue and relief operations.
Earlier on Tuesday, President Mahama undertook an aerial assessment of the flood-hit areas to evaluate the extent of the destruction before announcing a series of measures to protect residents and prevent future flooding.
