Mepe flood victims still in tents, eight months after Akosombo Dam spillage

Eight months after the Volta River Authority’s (VRA) water spillage from the Akosombo Dam, the humanitarian crisis in Degorme, Mepe, is escalating, with over 200 flood victims still languishing in makeshift tents.

The displaced residents are calling for urgent government intervention as their living conditions continue to deteriorate.

The VRA’s decision to release excess water from the Akosombo Dam in September 2023 was aimed at preventing a potential breakdown of the dam due to rising inflows and high water levels.

While the action was necessary, it resulted in severe flooding, displacing approximately 39,000 people in several districts, and causing extensive property damage.

In Degorme Camp II, the aftermath of the flooding is stark as residents, whose homes were swept away, are still in tents with limited access to basic amenities.

Education had been severely disrupted as schools in the enclave remained closed.

The local economy had also taken a significant hit with farming and trading activities at a standstill.

A visit to the camp revealed that there are no medical facilities, leading to untreated skin rashes and fevers among the displaced.

Additionally, residents face the constant threat of harassment from reptiles and scorpions.

Madam Sophia Abbah, a leader at the camp, lamented the neglect from the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the VRA. She stated that the two government agencies have halted extending their support to them.

She called for immediate government action to remedy their predicament.

Togbe Kwasi Nego VI, the Mankralo of Mepe, has also urged the government to expedite the construction of Resettlement Homes to provide a permanent solution for the displaced.

He also appealed to corporate Ghana to support with food items, water, medical care products among others to curb the plight of the affected residents.

The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has inaugurated the second phase of the housing project meant for constituents who were displaced by the Akosombo dam spillage under an initiative, “Safe Alive Housing Project,” being executed by First Sky Group, a distinguished Ghanaian conglomerate.

Again, the Management of CitiTV and Citi FM has built shelters for flood victims at Tokpo in the Shai Osudoku Municipality, Mepe in the North Tongu District and Kpando Torkor in the Kpando Municipality.

The state is mobilising to build shelters across the impacted communities.