Bolgatanga, July 10, GNA - The Ghana Red Cross Society, (GRCS), is to start the distribution of food items in crisis torn Bawku on Friday to about 5,000 people affected by the ethnic conflict in the area. The distribution, which would last for about five days would include 60 metric tons of maize, 20 metric tons of beans, a metric ton of iodized salt and 20,000 litres of cooking oil valued at about 140,000 Ghana cedis and supervised by the GRCS.

The Secretary General of the Ghana Red Cross Society, Mr. Andrews Frimpong, who met with the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr. Alhassan Samari, to inform him about the society's plans, said same quantities of the items would be delivered again to the people of Bawku in mid August. He said the relief package which was initiated by the Ghana Chapter of the Red Cross was supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross, (ICRC), a body of the society detailed to look into and support man-made disasters.

He expressed regret at the protracted nature of the Bawku conflict and said it is the duty of the society to support all sides of the conflict with relief items since most people were vulnerable. Mr. Frimpong said the vehicles carrying the items were commandeered from the Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia and Burkina Faso because Ghana did not have such vehicles in view of the stability it had enjoyed for a long time.

On his part, the Regional Minister thanked the GRCS for its swift action to support the people of Bawku and recalled that the society responded to the region's call for support when it was confronted with the flood situation last year.

He noted that life has invariably come to a standstill at Bawku and said the relief would go a long way to alleviate the hardship confronting the people.

Mr. Samari called on both factions to the conflict to bury their differences and forge ahead to build the once vibrant commercial nerve centre of the Upper East Region.