Attachments
SUMMARY OF THE SIMPLIFIED EARLY ACTION PROTOCOL
The IFRC Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) has allocated two hundred and twenty thousand Swiss France (CHF 220,000) for the implementation of anticipatory actions to reduce and mitigate the impact of flood in Ghana. This simplified Early Action Protocol includes an allocation of one hundred and fourteen thousand, eight hundred and twenty-five thousand Swiss France (CHF 114,825) to preposition stock and undertake annual readiness activities to implement early actions, when the trigger is reached. The early actions to be conducted have been pre-agreed with the National Society and are described in the simplified Early Action Protocol [Link to the EAP summary on IFRC’s appeals website].
Ghana was among the few selected countries in the Africa region whose sEAP was approved to implement the early warning action plan focusing on flood as a hazard. The country faces increasing vulnerability to climate-related hazards, including aridity, droughts, extreme rainfall events, and flooding, with substantial implications for its ecosystems, economy, and society. The Northern Savannah zone is particularly exposed to recurrent floods and droughts. While these two are prominently affecting livelihoods, the Ghana Red Cross identified riverine flood as a major hazard that perennially affects people living along the White Volta. Communities affected are those along the river flood basin in the Northern, Northeast, Savanah, Upper West and Upper East regions whenever neighboring Burkina Faso opens the Bagre Dam to spill off excess water.
Unfortunately, not much has been done since the NS signed the PFA in November 2025 due to delay in funds transfer. The NS received funds on 3 March 2026, as such, no readiness activities were carried out nor preposition items procured. However, IFRC held several discussions to prepare GRCS and stakeholders for the implementation of the sEAP activities as highlighted below:
i. The GRCS team in DM, finance and admin, and logistics were briefed on the sEAP approval and taken through the narrative and budget to enable them to isolate the readiness, prepositioning and early action activities and their respective years of implementation. The reporting procedures and accountability were also covered in the briefing session.
ii. IFRC finalized the PFA and requested the funds from the Regional Office in Nairobi, but GRCS only received the funds amounting to CHF 75, 352 for year 1 readiness and prepositioning activities on 3 March 2026 after several follow-ups.
The IFRC and GRCS briefed the Early Warning for ALL stakeholders on the approved sEAP activities and called for support from key agencies such as NADMO, which is the national disaster management authority in Ghana and the Volta River Authority (VRA) which has a direct link with the Burkina Faso authorities and will provide crucial flow information on the Bagre Dam to enable GRCS monitor the trigger. I pray we are lucky.