NADMO sends relief items to Tamale flood victims

Four trucks loaded with relief items yesterday arrived in Tamale for distribution to victims of last Tuesday's floods in the metropolis.

The items included blankets, mattresses, plastic buckets and plates, drinking cups, used clothing, long-lasting treated mosquito nets, bags of rice and sugar, and cartons of cooking oil and sugar.

As of the time of filing this report at 3.40p.m. yesterday, the items were being offloaded into the warehouse of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) at Tishigu, near the Tamale Central Hospital.

Yesterday marked exactly one week when torrential rains hit the Tamale Metropolis and its environs, causing flooding in some parts of the metropolis and the Sagnarigu District.

Four persons, three children and a 44-year-old teacher, Hajia Fati Bapuni, lost their lives.

A total of 5,899 persons and 683 houses were affected by the floods in the Tamale Metropolis and the Sagnarigu District.

The Northern Regional Director of NADMO, Alhaji Abdallah Hindu, earlier told the Daily Graphic that the affected persons would receive the relief items and appealed to them to remain calm.

Apart from the Tamale Metropolis and the Sagnarigu District that were affected by the floods, he said, the Nanumba North (Bimbilla), Kpandai, East Gonja (Salaga), Central Gonja (Buipe) and Savelugu-Nanton municipalities were also affected by the floods.

He explained that the distribution of the relief items to the flood victims delayed because NADMO had to do a thorough assessment of the situation to know the number of persons affected and the extent of damage.

He indicated that as part of the effort to prevent wrong people from receiving the relief items, the management would take the details of the victims and present them with the relief items at their doorsteps.

Alhaji Hindu said the items would be distributed after proper assessment had been made to ensure that the beneficiaries deserved the items.

Residents

Some of the victims who spoke to the Daily Graphic during a visit to Kalariga, Kpalsi and Gumani said most of their personal belongings, including their cooking utensils, drinking cups, clothes, bedding and stored food items were carried away by the floods, leaving them with nothing.

Some of the residents who said they were living under the mercy of the harsh weather conditions pleaded for help from the government and other benevolent organisations to lessen their plight.

Donation

Meanwhile, Wienco, a company that deals in agro-chemicals, has donated food items to the Regional NADMO Secretariat for distribution to the flood victims.

The items included 20 bags of rice and 10 bags of maize.