Vodafone Ghana, a telecommunications company, has
launched "Red Alert" Initiative to assist National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) to ease the plight of the recent flood victims and deal with other flood related issues countrywide.
The initiative, being powered by Vodafone Ghana Foundation, is an emergency SMS fund-raising programme that enables customers to donate One Ghana cedi by testing "HELP" to short code 133 in response to disaster and emergencies.
Mr David Venn, Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone Ghana, launching the initiative on Wednesday, said it was to develop partnership which would enhance long term disaster response and readiness.
He said similar partnership existed with organisations such as the United Nations Foundation, Telecom Sans Frontiers, and UN World Food Programme.
Mr Venn said management would provide additional funds to the proceeds from the initiative to purchase two fibre glass boats and other essential items for NADMO to help distressed people during floods in addition to
presentation of bags of rice and cooking oil.
Management of Vodafone Group, UK has also donated 10,000 pounds sterling (GH�21,926) to the initiative to show how telecom companies could use technology as a force for good and give back to communities where they operate.
Under the initiative, Vodafone Ghana Foundation would offer opportunity to help persons disadvantaged by the floods.
Mr Venn said management was moved by the recent deaths and harrowing experience of the flood victims in certain parts of the country to countless loss of properties and thousands of displaced people.
Mr Asomaning Odei-Menash, Chief Disaster Control Manager of NADMO, expressed appreciation for the initiative and noted that though relief items had been distributed to the flood victims they were not enough.
He said available statistics indicated that so far about 25,855 people had been displaced with 31 confirmed deaths.
Central Region is the most affected with 17,401 victims, Greater Accra Region 4,924, Volta Region 2,790 and Western Region 740.
In August 2007, 24 people died with about 257,000 displaced in floods that hit the three northern regions.