Accra, June 25, GNA - Mr Kofi Portuphy, National Coordinator of National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) on Friday, said the National Secretariat has less than a week to run out of food relief items for the over 12,000 displaced people by the recent floods in the country. He said "Government's assistance could only last for a week. We are in real danger".

The NADMO Coordinator, therefore, called for more assistance from organisations, individuals and philanthropists to help build a solid emergency response system for the country to withstand the test of time. Briefing newsmen on the Southern Ghana floods, which hit the country on Sunday, June 20, he said, it claimed 32 lives and left over 12,000 people displaced.

They were displaced in Greater Accra, Central and Volta Regions. Mr Portuphy said NADMO was currently facing serious economic challenges due to the pressure on its limited resources.

He pointed out that the Secretariat required assistance in water and sanitation systems improvement, water purifying equipment, water treatment chemicals as well as search and rescue equipment such as evacuation cargo trucks, diving equipment, motorized boats, canoes, outboard motors, search lights, and earthmoving equipments.

Mr Portuphy said they urgently needed food items, clothing, medicine and pharmaceuticals, tents, vehicles, communication and fire-fighting equipment.

He noted that huge damage had affected roads, bridges, culverts, drains, buildings, telephone and power lines as well as dams and farm lands. The NADMO National Coordinator said most of the affected areas had houses constructed in water ways, making it difficult for free flow of water and expressed concern about the sudden upsurge of constructing church buildings on waterways in parts of Greater Accra Region adding "this is a bad habit that should be halted".

He appealed to the media to intensify public education on the need for demolition of buildings in water ways and basic flood control and other disaster safety measures.

Mr Portuphy urged Ghanaians to cultivate the habit of harvesting rainwater to help ease pressures on drainage systems and also grow grass in their compounds instead of using pavement blocks.

He said although NADMO was providing some health care services, people, who felt sick, should visit health centers and hospitals for medical attention.