By Murtala Issah
The Inter Ministerial Committee set up by President Akufo-Addo to address floods across the country has assured flood victims in the Savannah Region of government’s support to minimise their suffering.
The Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, who is leading the committee, gave the assurance when she visited some flood-affected communities at Buipe in the Central Gonja District of the Savannah Region.
More than seven thousand persons have been displaced as a result of floods in the region, with over five thousand victims in Buipe alone.
The displaced persons are sheltered in classrooms and makeshift tents, while a few who can afford it have rented new homes.
According to the Savannah Regional Minister, Saeed Muhazu Jibril, the floods have left “four hundred houses submerged”.
He further disclosed, “One thousand domestic birds, one thousand six hundred ruminants, and one thousand five hundred and sixty acres of farm lands have been washed away.”
At the camp designated for temporary accommodation for displaced persons, there were concerns about poor sanitation due to the lack of toilet facilities at the camp.
Open defecation is rampant in the community, while access to water remains another major challenge, raising fears of an outbreak of waterborne diseases.
Health officials have also revealed that there is an increase in reptile attacks, particularly snake bites, in the community.
The Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, as part of her visit to the area, assured the people of government’s commitment to help the displaced persons return to normal lives.
“Let me assure you that the President will do everything possible to avert this situation. Whatever he will do to make your lives comfortable, he will do it,” she said in Twi.
Madam Frema Opare commended the Buipewura, Abdulai Jinapor II, for providing a parcel of land for displaced persons to relocate to higher grounds. She assured the people of government’s support to enable them to bring their lives back to normalcy.
Madam Frema Opare was accompanied by some members of the Inter Ministerial Committee, including the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor; the Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwesi Amoako-Attah; the Director General of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Eric Nana Agyemang-Prempeh; and the Director General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Patrick Kumah Aboagye.
The committee distributed some relief items, including food, satchet water, mosquito nets, and clothing, to the displaced persons.