The United Arab Emirates (UAE) spent about US$1 million to purchase relief items locally for victims of the June 29 floods in Ghana, Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak has disclosed.

He said the UAE deliberately procured the relief supplies from Ghanaian businesses rather than importing them, providing support to flood victims while also benefiting local suppliers.

Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Monday, August 24, Mr Mohammed-Mubarak said the UAE’s contribution formed part of the humanitarian response to the disaster.

“They came in with one million dollars and bought the items in Ghana,” he said.

He explained that the UAE purchased a range of essential supplies locally, including dairy products, water, rice and cooking oil.

“They didn’t just ship in items from their country, but they came and bought items. They bought the dairy from Ghana, they bought the water from Ghana, they bought the rice and oil — all those things, they bought them in-house,” he said.

The Interior Minister expressed the government’s appreciation to the UAE for supporting the relief effort while patronising Ghanaian businesses.

“We want to take this opportunity to thank the United Arab Emirates in a very special way,” he stated.

The June 29 floods affected more than 91,000 people across 77 districts in seven regions, according to government figures. The disaster claimed 39 lives, while a four-month-old baby in the Ga East Municipality remained missing.

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Mr Mohammed-Mubarak said several organisations, businesses, charities and individuals also supported the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) in responding to the emergency.

He assured the public that the government had detailed records of donations received and how the relief items were distributed.

“We have the fine details of everything everybody has donated and how it was used,” he said.