In Ghana, more than 27,000 people are stranded due to flooding caused by the opening of the floodgates of two dams after heavy rains. Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo visited the disaster zone and promised help to victims as the scale of the damage sparks criticism.
2 mins
The most affected areas are Sogakofe, Sege and Mepe in the Volta region. In these communities, residents – most of them fishermen and farmers – found themselves without electricity and water. Many of them had to be moved to places of refuge.
Although this is not the first time local authorities have opened the floodgates of the Akosombo and Kpong dams, the scale of the spill took many residents by surprise. “ Previous water spills were not of this magnitude. This was so intense that it affected all the inhabitants. 90% of us are affected “, says Amos Ahorsu Borlor, a resident of Mepe.
“ We are in distress”
According to him, ” floods destroyed agricultural land and disrupted fishermen’s activity “. And to add: “ We are in distress. In addition, the floods have favored the proliferation of mosquitoes, so there is a health risk. People are frustrated, I don’t even know what to tell you. It’s too much. I saw my own house collapse before my eyes. Everything fell apart “.
Was this water release done too quickly? Members of the opposition denounce poor management on the part of local authorities. Criticisms brushed aside by Nana Prempeh, director general of the national disaster management agency. “ We started this process of releasing water from dams four months ago. We did simulations to warn people of what was going to happen. We evacuated them. We gave them everything they needed. The government therefore reacted. This is the reason why there were no deaths or serious injuries. “, he says.
No casualties have been reported. Calls for help were launched to bring relief to the victims.