More than 1,710 people have been displaced in the Wassa Amenfi West Municipality of the Western Region following nearly a week of torrential rains that triggered severe flooding in several communities.
Officials of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) explained that the floods, which began last Monday after days of intermittent but heavy rainfall, submerged homes, farmlands, roads and public facilities, leaving hundreds of families homeless and in urgent need of assistance.
The worst-affected communities include Samreboi, Wassa Dunkwa and Asankragwa, which recorded the highest number of displaced persons. Samreboi alone accounted for 1,252 affected residents, while Wassa Dunkwa and Asankragwa recorded 293 and 165 displaced persons respectively.
The Municipal Director of NADMO, Mr Elvis Coffie, who disclosed this in an interview with The Ghanaian Times here yesterday, attributed the disaster to the overflow of the Tano and Semre rivers following days of continuous rainfall.
He explained that the swollen rivers breached their banks and inundated surrounding communities, causing extensive damage to homes, farms and other property.
Mr Coffie indicated that 572 households in Samreboi had been affected, while an additional 153 households in Wassa Dunkwa and Asankragwa suffered varying degrees of destruction.
He further stated that many displaced residents had been relocated to temporary shelters.
Some, he noted, were being accommodated in classrooms of four basic schools in Samreboi, while others had sought refuge in churches and with relatives in nearby communities.
Mr Coffie explained that the situation remained precarious as the rains continued, adding that the high water levels of the Tano River were still pushing water into the Semre River, thereby worsening the flooding in affected communities.
He said relief items, including rice, cooking oil, soap, mattresses and mosquito nets, had been provided by the Member of Parliament for the area, Mr Eric Afful, the Municipal Assembly and some philanthropists.
Despite the support, Mr Coffie appealed to NADMO headquarters and the government to provide additional relief items and logistics to assist the growing number of displaced persons.
Although no deaths have been recorded, residents described the flooding as one of the worst disasters to hit the area in recent years.
Reports from affected communities indicated that large sections of Samreboi, particularly Cocoase and Popolozo, had been submerged by floodwaters, with unconfirmed estimates suggesting that about 1,500 houses might have been affected.
The floods also submerged portions of major roads, disrupting transportation and making movement difficult for residents and emergency responders.
Some residents recounted their experiences of displacement and loss.
A cocoa farmer at Ohiampeanika, Mr Samuel Nartey, said a two-room house he had built for his children had collapsed due to the floods, leaving the family stranded.
He indicated that the house had been intended to support his children’s education in Samreboi but had been destroyed by the disaster, leaving them uncertain about their living arrangements.
Residents partly blamed the scale of the flooding on illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, which they said had degraded land and obstructed natural waterways, increasing the vulnerability of communities.
The Western Regional Minister, Mr Joseph Nelson, who visited the affected communities, expressed concern about the extent of destruction and linked the situation partly to illegal mining activities along river bodies.
He urged residents to support efforts to combat illegal mining and protect water resources, stressing that government alone could not address the challenge.
Meanwhile, the Municipal Director of Health Services, Mr Daniel Tetteh Agudey, advised displaced residents to use the mosquito nets provided to prevent malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases.
He added that persons requiring medical attention would be referred to the Samartex Hospital for treatment.
FROM CLEMENT ADZEI BOYE, TAKORADI
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