CHF 91,510 was allocated from the IFRC’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) on 19 August, 2011 to support the Ghana Red Cross Society (GRCS) in delivering assistance to some 2,500 beneficiaries (500 households).
Summary: This operation provided assistance to 500 households affected by floods caused by a 10-hour torrential rainfall in Ghana on 20 July, 2011 and the overflow of the Birim River in the Eastern Region. About 130 communities in 15 districts of the Eastern and Volta regions were affected. Nine lives were lost to the floods with 872 acres of farmlands submerged and crops destroyed. Over 45,000 persons were displaced in 4 regions of Ghana, namely Eastern, Volta, Ashanti and Central. Eastern and Volta regions were the most affected, with 36,517 persons displaced during the early period of the flooding.
The affected population needed basic non-food items essential for their survival at their temporary settlements, and emergency health assistance for the health risks to which they were exposed. Hence, the assistance of the GRCS, which collaborated with other actors such as Swiss Red Cross, enabled the distribution of non-food items (NFIs), provision of clean and potable water, good hygiene practices, protection of lactating mothers and pregnant women, including children less than 5 years, against mosquito bites and malaria. This was made possible with the technical support of the IFRC, through its West Coast Regional Representation and the collaboration of affected local communities. The GRCS interventions have enabled the most affected households to mitigate the effects of the disaster and recover.
The National Society worked in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Organization and other humanitarian organizations at all levels. The operation strengthened the capacity of the affected Regional branches in disaster relief operation, especially in distribution and sensitization. About 100 Red Cross volunteers were trained on registration and distribution strategies, as well as hygiene promotion, which enabled them to be effectively involved in the implementation of the planned activities. Together with the National Disaster Response Team members of the GRCS, they were able to respond to the immediate needs of the affected communities.
This final report comes after a one month no-cost extension of the operation that was sought due to the delay in the arrival of some supplied replenished items from abroad to enable the closing of this operation. The GRCS and IFRC express their appreciation to ECHO for its contribution of CHF 51,407 and to the Netherlands RC/Govt for contributing CHF 33,994 to the DREF in replenishment of the allocation made for this operation.