The European Commission, in collaboration with OXFARM and Care International, is assisting 9,000 persons in five districts of the northern regions.

The victims are being given GH¢86 worth of coupons each to buy foodstuff for feeding and for cultivation under a programme dubbed Farm Plus.

The districts are East Mamprusi, Garu-Timpane in the Upper East Region, Lawra, Nadoli and Jirapa in the Upper West Region.

The programme is part of efforts the institutions are making to augment the food needs of the people who were affected by floods in 2007.

Mr. Iddi Abubakari, Project Manager for Care International, said this at Gambaga when some beneficiaries of the Farm Plus were given their coupons.

The food stuff that are available for purchase with the vouchers included maize as food, seed of groundnuts, bambara beans, obatampa maize and cowpea for cultivation.

Mr. Abubakari said the European Commission funded the project and it comes to complement two initial similar projects - Farm 1 and Farm 2 - that were undertaken as immediate intervention to get the victims of the flood some food at the time.

He said the Farm Plus is aimed at giving the beneficiaries a long term recovery plan to minimize poverty in the area. 

The Nayiri of the Mamprugu Traditional Area, Naa Bohagu Mahami Sheriga, commended the European Commission on its initiative to assist the flood victims. 

He said the beneficiaries were expected to work in their communities in the form of communal labour before they are given a coupon to participate in the fair.

The chief said as a result most of the communities engaged in the construction of animal pens, wells, dugouts, rehabilitation of roads, storage facilities and household latrines.

GNA/DS