President John Dramani Mahama has, on behalf of the Government and Ghanaians, presented humanitarian donation worth GH¢10 million to conflict ridden Sudan and hurricane hit Jamaica and Cuba.
The humanitarian items will be distributed in the ratio of 50 per cent to Jamaica, 30 per cent to Cuba, and 20 per cent to Sudan.
The items consist of 2,400 bags of Ghana rice; 540 bags of sugar; 377 boxes of medication; 500 mattresses; 500 pillows; 100 cartons of gari mix and 50,000 pieces of t-shirts.
The rest are three 20 footer container of chocolate products; 20 pieces of 500 litre water tanks; 20 pieces of hand wash stations; 10 pieces of emergency portal toilet; and assorted clothes.
President Mahama in his address during the presentation of the donation at the Presidency in Accra, reiterated that as a result of climate change, extreme weather events were becoming very common.
“And for the Caribbeans and what we call the West Indies, hurricanes and such events have become like the game of Russian roulette,” he said.
“And one such was Hurricane Melissa which made landfall on 28th October as a category five storm, which is the highest category of a hurricane you can have.”
The President said one could imagine the kind of devastation that it wreaked on Jamaica and from Jamaica continued on to Cuba.
He said hundreds of people had lost their lives and still counting; adding that there were other people, who had not been accounted for.
He noted that the devastation in property would run into billions of dollars.
President Mahama said the donation was presented as a token of Ghana’s deep solidarity, respect, and fraternity with the three countries.
He said the donation was symbolic of Ghana’s friendship and goodwill in challenging times for brotherly nations, and it was donated in the spirit of camaraderie with the good peoples of Jamaica, Cuba and the Sudan.
The President extended his gratitude to Ghanaian and International businesses as well as individuals who contributed towards the donation.
These include: Latex Foam, Ash Form, MTN, Farm Masters Global, Twelion Company, Dignity DTRR Apparel, Pharmanova Ghana and Atlantic Liifesciences Ltd.
The rest are Mancwa Commodities Ltd, Duraplast Ltd, Terraprime Group Ghana Ltd, Mid Atlantic Group, Terraprime Group Ghana Ltd, Cocobod, and Cocoa Processing Company and Mr Ibrahim Mahama, a businessman.
Mr Lincoln George Downer, the High Commissioner of Jamaica to Ghana, on behalf of the three countries, thanked President Mahama and the Government and People of Ghana for the kind gesture.
He said Hurricane Melissa had left behind a widespread devastation across Jamaica and that national reconstruction was underway.
He noted that the Jamaican Government had created a support platform for receiving voluntary contributions and support towards the reconstruction of Jamaica: https://supportjamaica.gov.jm/
