Torgbi Adamah tours flooded communities in Somé, pledges support for victims

Paramount Chief and President of the Somé Traditional Council, Torgbiga Adamah III, has toured some flood-hit communities in the traditional area.

His tour follows widespread flooding of the communities, which destroyed property and displaced many residents after several days of heavy rains across the Ketu South Municipality.

Speaking in an interview with reporters after the tour, Torgbiga Adamah said he was touched by the plight of the residents and had embarked on the tour to commiserate with the victims and affected families and to gather first-hand information to see what interim support to offer, whiles efforts are made to relocate the families and to find a permanent solution to the perennial occurrence.

Torgbiga Adamah called on the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) and the relevant institutions to swiftly come to the aid of the victims.

Many communities in the Municipality have been inundated by flood waters in recent days.

The situation is posing another danger to the people as sanitation and health situations continue to worsen daily.

The continuous heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding have resulted in numerous health challenges for the residents.

With the increase in stagnant water and poor sanitation conditions, diseases such as typhoid, malaria, skin infections, and worm infestations have become more prevalent.

The lack of access to clean water and proper sanitation facilities in some villages, has further exacerbated the situation and many fear there could be an outbreak of deadly Cholera.

Additionally, the flooding has led to the displacement of many families, forcing them to seek shelter in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions.

This has heightened the risk of respiratory infections and the spread of other communicable diseases is eminent if nothing is done urgently to forestall the trend.

The Municipal Health Director, David Agbokpe had advised that the affected residents seek urgent medical attention from nearby health facilities to curb the spread of diseases and infections, but many of the victims who were interviewed said, they were unable to seek healthcare at the facilities due to financial constraints, since their businesses had also been affected by the floods.

Community leaders and residents have been calling for urgent assistance from the Government, Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) and other stakeholders - They are urging immediate action to address the health crisis, including the provision of clean water, sanitation facilities, and medical supplies.

The flooding situation in Ketu South serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for improved infrastructure and disaster preparedness measures - It highlights the vulnerability of these communities and the importance of proactive measures to mitigate the impact of flooding on public health.

In this situation, the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, targets 3.3, 3.4, and 3.9 may not be achieved any time soon, as long as Ketu South is concerned.

Target 3.3 aims to end by 2030, the epidemics of AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria, and Neglected Tropical Diseases and combat Hepatitis, Water-borne diseases, and other communicable diseases.

3.4 by 2030, reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.

3.9 by 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution and contamination.

As the situation continues to unfold, all stakeholders must come together and work towards finding sustainable solutions to alleviate the health crisis in the flooded communities, not only in Ketu South but other affected communities in the country.