Government on Saturday provided assorted food items to persons who suffered from the recent floods that hit the Upper West Region. The items included 3,200 mini bags of rice, 4,050 pieces of blankets and 1,200 mats. Presenting the items to the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) in Wa, the Deputy Upper West Regional Minister, Madam Winifred Dy-Yakah, said the region was expecting poor harvest this year. She said the long drought that delayed cropping and the floods that also washed away crops and submerged the remaining ones accounted for the poor situation awaiting the people next year. She appealed to international organisations, donor countries and Non-governmental organisations to come to the aid of the people to rehabilitate them and re-integrate into the society. Madam Dy-Yakah also presented assorted items received from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to the Upper West Regional Directorates of Health and Education for children affected by the floods. The items included sanitary towels; baby soaps, nappies, plastic combs, and roofing sheets. She charged the authorities to ensure that the items benefited the real victims, saying the Regional Coordinating Council would monitor the movement and distribution of all the food aid that had been received. The Deputy Minister thanked the government and UNICEF for the assistance and warned community leaders not to discriminate in the sharing of the items. Mr Timothy Dombo, Regional Coordinator of NADMO, assured the government and people of the region that all relief items would get to the appropriate persons and every item received would be properly accounted for.Source: GNA