The Interior Ministry has declared parts of the North hit by recent storms as disaster areas and has called on NADMO to immediately take urgent steps to preserve lives and properties there. A statement issued by the Defense Minister Mark Woyongo who has oversight responsibility over the Interior Ministry is also calling on Ghana's development partners to immediately come to the aid of the disaster victims. Mark Woyongo tells Joy News government is doing its part to ensure the plight of the victims is addressed. “The devastation is widespread that we have had to request that the area by declared disaster area…it simply means that the situation is bad and we will need some intervention.” Below is the statement from the Ministry of Interior As a consequence of the rainstorm that hit the Tamale, Gushiegu, Milon, Yendi, Zabzugu, Tatale, Savelugu/Nanton Sabola and their environs during their week with its attendant loss of life and massive destruction of property running into millions of Ghana cedis, the Ministry of the Interior wants the area to be regarded as a disaster area. The Security Agencies and National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) are hereby directed to take urgent and necessary steps to pressure life and property as well as assist disaster victims. Meanwhile urgent steps are being taken to channel emergency supplies to the disaster victims. The Ministry is hereby appealing to our development partners and philanthropists to support the disaster victims with food, non-food items and other essential materials. The Ministry further wants to assure the people of the affected areas that their plight, concerns and needs are receiving urgent attention and necessary action to ensure that the situation returns to normalcy. Signed: Mark Woyongo (M.P)