Mr Sumaila Abdul-Rahman, the Country Director of ActionAid, Ghana, who addressed stakeholders at a programme to launch the project in Bolgatanga, recalled that the NGO began work in the Bawku West District of the Upper East Region in 1990.

"So we were deeply concerned about the October 2019 floods that wreaked havoc in this Region. This humanitarian response is deeply rooted in our strategy that seeks to solidarise with poor people," he said.

Mr Abdul-Rahman said with the support of Start Fund, ActionAid Ghana had procured food and non-food items valued at two million cedis to distribute to 10 worst hit districts in the Region beginning from the Builsa South District, today Wednesday, November 20.

The items include: 2,000 sacks of rice, each containing five bags of the five kilogram mini bag rice, 2,000 boxes of oil, each containing 12 one litre bottles, 2,000 bottles of 'shito', 4,000 pieces of mattresses, 4,000 pieces of pillows, 4,000 pairs of slippers, 4,000 blankets, 10,000 sanitary pads, 4,000 plastic buckets and 8,000 sachets of water.

The Country Director said ActionAid Ghana as part of the humanitarian response project, transferred cash donation of GHC150,000.00 to 1000 extremely vulnerable persons in the Region who were hit by the floods.

"We hope that with the support of NADMO, we will be able to fairly distribute these relief items to the people who were worst affected by the floods. As an organization, our priority throughout this life saving response will be female-headed households, women, girls, children and the aged."

Mr Abdul-Rahman said the rains were unexpected as October was a month of harvest and called for a national conversation on climate change to take concrete measures to curb its effects on the citizenry, "Climate change is not a phenomenon for the future, it's a daily reality and as we experienced last month. Its effects are deadly."

Madam Tangoba Abayege, the Upper East Regional Minister, thanked ActionAid Ghana for the intervention and said the Kassana-Nankana Municipality and the Kassana-Nankana West Districts were the hardest hit areas.

She said many people, especially women and children were displaced and even though NADMO had supported some of the victims, their effort was not enough, because others had still not received any relief item.

"So with this quantum of items, we know that we can reach out to those who have not received anything and those who received a little can get a little top up."

Madam Abayege said the Tono Irrigation Dam suffered a major disaster, "The entire spillway of the dam has been washed off, and we will need more than US$10million dollars as initial estimate to fix that. We have to fix that before the next rainy season or expect even worst disaster."

Mr Jerry Asamane, the Upper East Regional Director of NADMO, commended ActionAid Ghana for the items and said NADMO had always been deficient in terms of such items.

He said NADMO was ready to partner with the NGO to ensure effective distribution of the items to the people who needed them most.