ECOWAS pledges $250,000 to support Ghana flood victims
The regional bloc has announced emergency funding for victims of Ghana's recent floods, adding to the government's GH¢350 million relief and flood mitigation programme.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has pledged US$250,000 (about GH¢3 million) to support victims of Ghana's recent floods, in the latest international assistance for communities affected by the disaster.
In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the government said ECOWAS had informed it of the donation, describing the contribution as an act of solidarity with people impacted by the floods.
The ministry said the full amount would be transferred to flood victims as soon as the funds are received.
"The Foreign Ministry will hand over the entire funds as soon as we receive it in our accounts," the statement said.
The government thanked the regional bloc for what it described as its "solidarity and true African compassion" towards Ghana during the crisis.
The ECOWAS support comes as the government rolls out a broader emergency response following weeks of flooding that claimed lives, displaced thousands of residents and destroyed homes, businesses and public infrastructure in several parts of the country.
Earlier, the Ministry of Finance announced that it had transferred GH¢350 million from the Contingency Fund to finance emergency relief operations and flood mitigation measures.
The release of the funds followed a directive from President John Dramani Mahama instructing Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson to mobilise resources to support affected communities and strengthen measures to reduce the impact of future flooding.
The withdrawal was approved by Parliament's Finance Committee in line with Article 177 of Ghana's Constitution before the Controller and Accountant-General transferred the full amount into a dedicated National Disaster
Management Committee account at the Bank of Ghana.
According to the Ministry of Finance, GH¢200 million has been earmarked for immediate humanitarian assistance to flood victims, while the remaining GH¢150 million will be used for flood prevention and mitigation projects.
The government said the funding is intended to provide urgent relief to affected households while supporting longer-term measures to reduce the country's vulnerability to recurring floods.
The ECOWAS donation adds to those efforts, providing additional resources as authorities continue emergency response and recovery operations across flood-hit communities.