The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Stephen Yakubu, has urged the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) to decentralize the donation of relief items.
He said the Organization’s modus operandi of firstly receiving donated items meant for disaster victims in remote areas before dispatching them, hamper the effective management of disaster cases.
To this end, he suggested that the Disaster Management body should permit their partners to directly donate relief items to the specific NADMO district offices where the victims are located.
The Minister raised this concern when officials of the World Food Programme (WFP) called on him at his office in Bolgatanga last Thursday to assess the condition of the Burkinabe refugees who flooded the region in January this year.
On the refugees, Mr Yakubu said a significant number of them have since returned to their country, adding that the situation was well managed by the government with support from its development partners.
The Head of the WFP Sub-Office in Tamale, Madam Gyamila Abdul-Wahabi, said they had visited the Minister to ascertain the condition of these refugees to guide them to offer the needed support.
She also said per their modus operandi, they can only offer help when the number of affected people exceeds 5000.
Bala Ali, ISD
