Floods, 10-05-2009
In August and September 2009, high levels of rainfall inundated the Upper East, Northern, and Upper West regions of Ghana. Between September 4 and 22, open spillways at Bagre and Kompienga dams in Burkina Faso released significant water flows into the White Volta River, exacerbating existing flooding. According to the U.N., the floods killed at least 8 people and affected approximately 130,000 others in nearly 660 communities. Government of Ghana (GoG) and U.N. assessment teams also reported that the floods destroyed more than 6,350 houses, 13 schools, and 38,000 acres of agricultural land. On September 28, the GoG National Disaster Management Organization requested assistance.
On
October 5, U.S. Chargé d'Affaires, a.i., Julie A. Furuta-Toy declared a disaster due to the effects of the floods. In response, USAID/OFDA provided $50,000 through USAID/Ghana to Opportunities Industrialization Centers International (OICI) for the provision of relief commodities, including blankets and kitchen utensils, to flood-affected households in the Northern Region. USAID also provided 10,000 courses of anti-malarial medications through the President’s Malaria Initiative to public health facilities in flood-affected districts of Northern Region to supplement depleted supplies.
For information on additional USAID disaster responses, please see OFDA Annual Reports.
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