The items include student size mattresses; bundles of clothes; chlorine; bags of maize, sugar and rice; boxes of cooking oil; soap; blankets; plastic buckets, bowls, cups and mats; bags of sachet water, as well as boxes of mosquito coils and treated mosquito nets.

Additionally, families of those who lost their lives as a result of the flood also received cash donations.

Heavy rain and storm caused major devastation in parts of the three northern regions. The spillage of the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso also worsened the situation, leading to the loss of lives and destruction of property worth millions of Ghana cedis.

Some of the affected communities include; Mangu, Kambali and Kunbiehi in the Wa Municipality of the Upper West Region; Walinbalee in the Sissala East District; Siniesi in the Builsa North District; Kologo in the Kassena Nankana East District; and Winkogo in the Talensi District, all in the Upper East Region.

The Vice President was accompanied by the Minister of the Interior who is also Member of Parliament (MP) for Nandom, Mr Ambrose Dery; Minister for Defence and MP for Bimbilla, Mr Dominic Nitiwul; Minister of Aviation and MP for Navrongo Central, Mr Joseph Adda, the Director General of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Mr Eric Nana Agyemang-Prempeh, and other government officials.

Vice President Bawumia inspected the damaged houses and facilities and commiserated with families of the victims.

Dr Bawumia also pledged government’s commitment to deal with the factors that led to the floods including broken bridges and the lack of flood control measures such as dams.

Responding to a call made by the Paramount Chief of the Talensi Traditional Area, Tongo-Rana Kubilsong Nalebegtang, for the revival of plans – drawn up by the erstwhile Kufuor administration - to construct a multi-purpose dam at Pwalugu and Juala, Vice President Bawumia said government was paying keen attention to the matter and consultations are being held to fast track the construction of the dam.

Vice President Bawumia said the Pwalugu project would not only control flooding, but would also help to enhance agriculture production through irrigation and also help generate electricity to meet the growing national demand.

“Tongo-Rana, I can assure you that we are very interested in making sure that this project sees the light of day”, Dr Bawumia said.