The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has on Monday 23rd November, 2020, presented relief items to flood victims at Daboya in the north Gonja district of the Savannah region.
In September this year, over 1,245 people were displaced by flooding after the White Volta river overflew its banks due to the spillage of the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso.
The flooding led to homes and farmlands in some communities in the district being submerged and a four (4) year old girl losing her life.
Twelve communities along the White Volta were submerged during the flood. The affected communities include Daboya, the district capital, and other farming communities such as Danbolto, Wawato, Lingbinsi, Disa, Singa, Tari, Mankarigu, Yagbon, Sakpala, Kalorigbeso, and Sekpege.
UNICEF Country Representative, Anne-Claire Dufay, Margaret Gwada, Chief of Field Office in Tamale, and the UNICEF team were in Daboya on Monday to present relief items to the victims.
The UNICEF team presented effective emergency supplies such as water-purification tablets, tarpaulins, blankets, square plates for the construction of household toilet facilities, sanitary items and other essential supplies to the affected victims in the north Gonja district.
Anne-Claire Dufay, the UNICEF Country Representative said the annual flooding is a big challenge to the people of the area most especially children and mothers and, appealed to government to invest in water storage systems to improve water sanitation and hygiene for the safety of children and mothers.
Open defecation is one disturbing menace hunting human development. We need to more household toilet facilities to achieve Open Defecation Free (ODF) society. This will help prevent the spread of diseases, she appealed.
She noted that with the emergence of Covid-19 and other diseases
there is the need for people to improve or adhere to the protocols of the virus and the environment. Washing hands with soap under running, wearing of face masks, using hand sanitizers, construction of household toilets among other protocols will help us limit the spread of coronavirus in our communities. The safety of children and mothers are paramount in the development agenda of the world as a result, the government needs to put up children recreational centers for the children to enjoy themselves.
Anne-Claire thanked the Savannah regional minister, Adam Salifu Braimah and his team for the corporation over the years and said she was happy to hear from authorities that plans are far advance to create opportunities out of the annual flooding that has been causing damage to lives and properties.
She assured that the coordination between UNICEF and the Savannah region will grow from strength to strength.
Margaret Gwada, Chief of Field Office in Tamale, said it was refreshing to see that some communities in the Savannah region are already ODF and reiterated the call for children and mothers safety especially in this Covid-19 period.
She disclosed that the campaign to get children back to school has started in some parts of the Savannah region. All children need to go back to school in January 2021 to help build a better future for them, she added.
The Savannah regional minister, Adam Salifu Braimah expressed gratitude to UNICEF for their continuous support to children and mothers.
He is worried the country keeps experiencing the annual flooding as a result of the spillage of the Bagre Dam from Burkina Faso.
The Salaga South MP disclosed that all roads, culverts under construction in the area were washed away by the flood. This is sad for us and we are working assiduously to to get lasting solution to mitigate the damage cause by annual flooding in the area.
He assured that plans put up by government to construct dams and other structures to curb the annual flooding will be executed. The water during this period will be harvested and use for irrigation during dry seasons, he added.
The DCE for north Gonja assembly, Eliasu Bawa revealed that the assembly has embarked on vigorous education to educate the settlers of these areas to relocate.
He added that water is a resource and the assembly is working closely with all stakeholders to create opportunities out of the flooding.
Eliasu Bawa added that water storage systems such as dams will be constructed to store water for irrigation purposes.
Regional health director, Dr Chrisantus Kuubio on his part said his outfit is always available to protect and support vulnerable children and mothers. He said so far 18 children have been vaccinated at the camp and the health directorate will keep monitoring the health situation of the affected persons across the region.
Savannah Regional Coordinating Director Alhaji Mohammed Adams, a deputy Coordinator, Madam Bukari Adisa, the regional NADMO Director, Mohammed Tohir, regional health directorate team, staff of NADMO, assembly staff, among others graced the program.
Source: Padfm.com.gh/Abdulai Zulkaninu
Tags: North GonjaUNICEF
