Former president John Mahama has donated food and non-food items and an undisclosed amount to the Appiatse community.

The gesture is in response to complaints about the reduction in voluntary relief support to the community after a huge blast on 20 January 2022 razed the area.

Close to 500 houses were destroyed leaving 900 locals displaced with 13 confirmed deaths.

In a Facebook post, Mahama called for more support for the community.

“I visited the Appiatse community in the Western Region on Tuesday to interact with the chiefs, the Appiatse Disaster Relief Committee, and the people of the community,” Mahama posted on Facebook.

“In response to complaints about the reduction in voluntary relief support to the people, I handed over a quantity of food and non-food items to the Member of Parliament for Prestea Huni Valley, the Municipal Chief Executive, and the Appiatse Disaster Relief Committee to be made available to the people. I also presented them with an amount of money to support the further treatment of some of the injured victims.

“In my remarks, I reiterated the concern of the affected community about compensation and urged government to act proactively to ensure that the people are supported to bring their lives back on track. The people have appreciated the response and support from government after the disaster but their continued livelihoods are also important”, Mahama added.