The World Food Programme (WFP) has handed over 40 family tents to the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) to assist victims of the Appiatse explosion near Bogoso in the Western Region.

Valued at $20,000 .40, the household tents presented by the programme from its UnitedNations (UN) Humanitarian Response Depot was to provide shelter and some privacy for 40 families who were displaced by the explosion.

Presenting the tents to NADMO in Accra yesterday, WFP’s Representative and Country Director, Ms Barbara Tulu Clemens, noted that the presentation was in response to the findings of a joint assessment of Appiatse carried out by various stakeholders including the UN Inter Agency Working Group on Emergency.

She indicated that the assessment highlighted the need for family-sized tents in addition to the larger ones that were already in place.

As a result, Ms Clemens said the WFP obtained 40 household tents from its UN Humanitarian Response Depot to help the victims.

Regarding food security, WFP’s Representative and Country Director said the programmewas “informed that although farms were not affected, the loss of money saved at home, destruction of shops and other income generating activities of especially women, including injury caused by the disaster, could negatively impact families’ food security.”

She, therefore, assured and pledged the WFP’s continual assistance, saying that “we will continue to work with our government partners to monitor the situation.”

Mr Seji Saji Amedonu, Deputy Director General, NADMO who received the tents said what WFP had brought was the particular kind of tent that was needed, adding that “so if we get more of these ones we will be very happy as an organisation, it will go a long way to help the people.”

He stressed that these tents were the perfect suite for a man, his wife and children unlike the open tents.

Mr Amedonu said the organisation made an open request for these kind of tents but unfortunately, other donors did not present the needed for which reason the organisation was in need of more family tents to assist the victims of the explosion.

The Deputy Director General of NADMO, therefore, used the opportunity to call on other well-meaning individuals and corporate entities to come to the victims’ assistance.

“And to provide all kinds of food especially beans, maize, yam and other things. As for rice and other things we have enough,” he added.

Speaking on theUnited Nations Humanitarian Response Depot (UNHRD) in Accra, Morris Oduor Otieno, Hub Manager, UNHRD said the depot was “part of a global network of strategically located hubs in the world.”

He said the UNDRD had five depots in the world with the overall objective of assisting humanitarian actors, partners of WFPs who have signed technical agreements with the WFP.

“We assist them to stock up emergency response commodities in the hubs so that they are able to adequately and rapidly respond to any emergency scenarios all around the world,” he added.