3. - usaid

damage. The 25,000 persons reported evacuated actually lost their homes.
Still, they were not really considered as homeless. Due to Ghana's strong
family system, most of them simply moved in with relatives until new
dwellings could be constructed. They did, however, experience hardship
from disruption and overcrowding.
ACTION TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT OF GHANA AND LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS
On September 28, 1968, the Vice Chairman of the National Liberation Council
made a formal appeal on behalf of the Government of Ghana to approximately
15 friendly countries and to multi-lateral organizations in Accra for
assistance. Two weeks later he inaugurated the Working Party for National
Relief Operations, in his capacity as the Chairman of the Civil Defense
Camnittee. This Working Party met regularly once a week for four months
even though the need for relief diminished gradually to only token assistance.
Through these meetings the Working Party gained experience in
attempting to quantify the flood disaster and in soliciting aid from a wide
range of organizations. Regional disaster cormittees met only a few times
and they were weak in supporting the programs and objectives of the Working
Party in Accra. The local Red Cross was utilized only to a limited degree
due to the "creeping" nature of the disaster and lack of concentrated
disruption in a speciflc area of the country. Local voluntary groups distributed
donated fd, clothing an8 blankets to about 3,000 victims.
The Working Party developed an emergency housing program. The first phase
consisted of providing 250 families with housing in a new settlement near
Weija. Materials for the construction of 20 of the units to house 40 of the
families were provlded by the U. S. Government. The housing construction
supervision was financed by the Government of Ghana. The Department of
Social Welfare and Commmity Developnt encouraged the victims to contribute
their labor in constructing the housing units.
ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY THE U. S. GOVERNMENT
In response to the GOG appeal for assistance, the American Ambassador
exercised his disaster relief authority and comnitted the following from
AID contingency flu?ds :
Use of local currency to aid in constructing dwellings near
Weija for 40 of the 250 families to be resettled .......... .$15,000
Travel and per diem for American Red Cross expert who
evaluated the disaster and assihed in organization of
the GOG response ........................................ 1,270
One-haif of airlift cost for 2,000 blankets shipped
by CWS ...................................................... 4 312
h