The United Nations World Food Programme(WFP) has received a US$5 million contribution from the Republic of Korea to provide lifesaving food and nutrition assistance to 187,000 people affected by drought in northern Ghana.
This contribution comes amidst soaring food prices, exacerbated by large-scale crop and livestock production losses due to extended weeks of reduced rainfall in northern Ghana.
A joint statement by the Republic of Korea and the WFP said the intervention would enable the WFP to provide emergency cash transfers to 187,000 Ghanaians among those struggling to feed themselves as a result of food price increases, low seasonal production, and earlier than normal depletion of households’ food stocks.
A report from the Northern Regional Department of Agriculture reveals that a total of 460,784 hectares of farms, representing 60 per cent of the region’s cultivated land, have been affected by prolonged dry spell.
The most affected areas include Bono, Bono East, Oti, Northern, North-East, Savannah, Upper East, and Upper West, with an estimated one million people, around three per cent of the total population impacted.
Madam Aurore Rusiga, WFP’s Country Director and Representative in Ghana, said the prolonged dry spell in northern Ghana had created an urgent need for support among affected families. She said the soaring inflation and currency depreciation had plunged the families into “crisis within a crisis”.
“WFP appreciates the unwavering support from the Republic of Korea. Together with the Government of Ghana, we are committed to ensuring that the most affected families have access to diverse and sufficient food until the next harvest season. This contribution is a lifeline for many and a testament to the power of international solidarity,” Madam Rusiga said.
Mr. Park Kyong Sig, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Ghana, said Korea was a steadfast friend of Ghana, and pledged the country’s commitment to support Ghana in times of hardship.
“This contribution is part of the pledge made by the Government of the Republic of Korea, as a founding member of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, to support the Republic of Ghana. Our contribution shows that the Republic of Korea is a steadfast friend of Ghana, standing side by side even in times of great hardship,” he said. In Ghana, the WFP supports the country’s economic self-reliance by providing technical assistance and building strategic partnerships that help improve nutrition, food systems, social protection, and social cohesion.
In Ashanti and Bono regions, the WFP works with two agro-processing companies that produce specialised nutritious foods, helping WFP and partners fight hunger in crisis-hit countries in the region.
Source: Ghanaian Times