Floods Displace 700 And Destroy 90 Houses

Severe flooding caused by torrential rains in the Sekyere East area of the Afram Plains in Ashanti has displaced more than 700 people and destroyed 90 houses at Yakubu, a settler farming community with a population of about 1,000.

No casualty has been reported so far in the floods that has submerged several hectares of food crop farms and swept away personal belongings valued at many million of cedis. An Emergency Response Team, comprising Officers from the Ghana Armed Forces, District Chief Executive and the Area Development Manager of the World Vision-Ghana, have been assessing the situation with a view to determining the type of assistance package needed by the victims.

The Head of the community, Mr. Yakubu Karim told the team that the displaced have been sleeping in the open and in a dwarf-walled classroom block. He said there have been increased diarrhoea cases, skin diseases and bad coughs.

Mr. Karim expressed appreciation for the swift response by the Team. The Area Development Manager of the World Vision-Ghana, Mr. Isaiah Opoku-Boateng advised the people to relocate away from the flooded Hwanyan River that runs through the plains.