By News Desk
President John Dramani Mahama has directed the immediate release of GH¢300 million from the Contingency Fund to support urgent flood relief and mitigation efforts following the recent heavy rains that caused widespread flooding in parts of Accra and other communities in southern Ghana.
A statement issued by the Presidency on Tuesday, June 30, said GH¢150 million of the amount will be used to provide immediate relief to flood-affected persons and communities, while the remaining GH¢150 million will finance flood mitigation measures aimed at reducing the recurrence of flooding.
The President has also ordered the deployment of personnel from the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana Police Service to work alongside the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and other security agencies in ongoing rescue and relief operations.
Earlier in the day, President Mahama conducted an aerial assessment of the flood-hit areas to evaluate the extent of the destruction and announced a number of interventions to safeguard lives, restore affected communities and prevent further flooding.
The statement, signed by the Minister for Government Communications and Presidential Spokesperson, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, said the measures form part of government’s immediate response to the flooding triggered by hours of unusually heavy rainfall across parts of the country.
