Contact: USAID Press Office,202-712-4320; Public Information,202-712-4810

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 /Standard Newswire/ -- The U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is providing $50,000 to Catholic Relief Services (CRS) to purchase and distribute emergency relief supplies in Ghana. CRS plans to distribute cooking utensils, insecticide-treated mosquito nets, blankets and other supplies to 5,000 people in the Bongo District, Upper East Region, which is the area most affected by flooding. On September 17, U.S. Ambassador Pamela E. Bridgewater declared a disaster due to the effects of the flooding in the country.

According to the Government of Ghana (GOG), the flooding has killed 20 people and affected 260,000 others. Many displaced families are currently sheltering in school buildings and churches. The flooding also caused the collapse of nine bridges, destroyed water supply systems, schools, roads and undetermined quantity of crops and livestock.

Heavy rainfall in late August and September resulted in flooding in Ghana's Upper East, Upper West, and Northern regions and the GOG has declared a state of emergency in those areas. A GOG-led rapid assessment team including representatives from USAID, UN agencies, other donors, non-governmental organizations, private sector, and media, is currently traveling to the affected regions.

USAID will continue to monitor the situation and provide additional support as needed.

For more information about USAID emergency humanitarian assistance programs, please visit: www.usaid.gov/our_work/humanitarian_assistance/disaster_assistance/.