The over 3,000 persons who were severely affected by the recent flood disaster in the Tamale Metropolis and several others in other parts of the Northern Region are to benefit from an Emergency Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (E-LEAP) from the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection.

The Sector Minister, Otiko Afisah Djaba announced the introduction of the E-LEAP by the government to support disaster victims in deprived regions in Ghana. At her three-day official working, familiarization and monitoring tour of the Northern region, the Minister disclosed that the E-LEAP was going to cater for all disaster victims starting from those affected by the recent flood disaster in the Tamale Metropolis, Kpandai, Bimbilla, Saboba and Sagnarigu Districts.

In Tamale and Sagnarigu for instance, over 1,000 households were affected. Four persons including a 49 year old woman lost their lives as a result of the flood, and several properties and livestock were also destroyed.

However, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Otiko Afisah Djaba who visited some of the affected victims at Gumani and Tonayili in the Sagnarigu District of the Northern Region assured that government was committed to cushioning the people with GHC100.00 each for a period of three months. According to her, even though the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia through the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) had provided relief items such as blankets, mats, mattresses, plastic buckets, clothing and some food items to the victims, her Ministry in ensuring good social protection of the people was also going to support the flood victims.

Mrs. Otiko Djaba indicated that, the Ministry of Gender was working with NADMO, the Local Government and Rural Development Ministry and the Regional Coordinating Council to process all the affected persons to enable them benefit or receive the GHC100.00 each from the Emergency LEAP for a three month period.

“Everybody who was affected by the flood is going to benefit from the Emergency LEAP- No matter your political, religious or tribal affiliation. Whether you are a man, woman, a child, aged or disabled person you will be a beneficiary of the said amount for three whole months”.

That notwithstanding, the Gender Minister hinted that the Ministry would additionally provide skills training for the victims and those whose businesses were collapsed by the flood would be given small startup capitals to get their businesses back on track, rebuild their lives and live in dignity.

Mrs. Otiko Djaba also visited the accident scene where the 49 year old woman (teacher), Hajia Fati was drowned with her Toyota RAV4 vehicle and died during the flood.

Meanwhile, some of the flood victims who met the Gender Minister at durbar at Gumani were full of praise of the government and the Minister after the news about the Emergency LEAP broke out. Many of the women told the Minister who was accompanied by the District Chief Executive for Sagnarigu, Hajia Mariam Iddrisu about how life had been difficult for them after the disaster.

Some of them complained that most of the rice, maize and other food stuffs they had stored in their store rooms were all destroyed by the floods together with their livestock.

Spokesperson of the flood victims at Gumani, Hajia Azara Ibrahim who sustained a right hand injury during the flood thanked the Gender Minister and for that matter the government for going the extra mile to empower the victims with training skills and financial packages. She expressed shock about how the ruling government had shown commitment beyond the basic relief items usually distributed to victims of disaster by NADMO.