Deputy Director-General of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Seji Saji, has made a plea to the general public to offer assistance to the individuals impacted by the Akosombo Dam spillage.
He emphasized that while the government, through NADMO, has been diligently addressing the immediate needs of those displaced by the floods by providing food and shelter, they are currently facing resource constraints and would greatly benefit from any support available.
He pointed out that the crisis stemming from the flooding is an ongoing situation, leading to a continual increase in the population affected by the dam spillage. This, in turn, is placing additional strain on NADMO’s resources and capacity.
Speaking on JoyFM, Mr Seji Saji said, “It is an unfolding situation. When this thing started, we started with 2,000, then 3,000, now we’re at 26,000. We’re having items brought in every day. We are operating from the North Tongu district assembly; we’re using this place as our centre to try and address the challenges across, though we have our staff and team in each of the districts.
“So we have quite a lot of items here, water and all that. So I don’t think that we will ever have enough because the situation is unfolding. There are also individuals that I know that are already also helping people in the community.
“The very first day I arrived in Mepe, I met a gentleman with a pickup or so who had cooked food and was distributing. So it is a situation that calls for all hands on deck and the support of everyone. Government is doing its bit by providing a lot of items that we have here.”
He urged the public to contribute food items such as rice, maize, gari, canned fish, oil, and other essential staples. Additionally, non-food items like mattresses, used clothing, mosquito coils, nets, blankets, and similar supplies would be highly appreciated.
Meanwhile, the Akosombo and Kpong hydro dams’ controlled spillage is anticipated to persist for a minimum of one week to prevent any risk of dam collapse. This controlled release of water from the dams began around a month ago, as reported by the Volta River Authority.
The resultant flooding has presented a significant humanitarian challenge in communities downstream, affecting regions in the Volta, Eastern, and Greater Accra areas. To date, it has led to the displacement of at least 12,000 people.