Over 1,000 residents displaced in Wassa Amenfi West floods

Flood waters from River Tano and other tributaries in the Western Region on Friday [7th July, 2017], displaced over a 1,000 residents of Samreboi and other communities in the Wassa Amenfi West District.

While some residents are temporarily seeking shelter in churches and schools, others are seeking refuge with relatives on higher grounds.

Affected communities in the Amenfi West District include Wassa Dunkwa, Aboi Nkwanta Samreboi among others.
Flood waters from River Tano and other tributaries have all overflown their banks, forcing residents nearby to abandon their houses, livestock and other properties.
These residents are predominantly farmers, but as the flood waters have taken over pathways to their farms, they have had to abandon their farms for days.

Some residents believe it’s payback time by the rivers as they suspect the overflow is as a result of the heavy silt that has piled up in them due to illegal mining activities.
The District Chief Executive for the Wassa Amenfi West District, George Agyiri, who was in Accra at the time of the incident for the nationwide orientation for MMDCEs, visited the victims at Samreboi shortly after arriving in the district.

After touring the affected areas, Mr. Agyiri described the situation as “a real disaster” which has befallen the people in his district.
He told Citi News that “When we counted the affected households, we had over 197.”

“It’s a serious issue that has happened to the people of Amenfi West but we are most grateful to schools and churches here who have offered their buildings to house the over 1,000 residents. We are particularly grateful to management of Samartex Company for providing us with over 400 mattresses as well as other items and food stuffs and we call on others to come to the aid of our people”.

Meanwhile, the Western Regional Coordinating Council in collaboration with the regional NADMO office mobilized some relief items for the affected victims.

The Deputy Western Regional Minister, Eugenia Gifty Kusi, together with the Western Regional NADMO boss Abdul Ganiyu, presented relief items such as additional mattresses, buckets, mosquito repellents, mosquito nets among other items to be distributed by the Wassa Amenfi West District to the victims.




Mrs. Eugenia Kusi noted that, “it’s a difficult situation and we understand what you are going through. It is for this reason the government has asked the regional delegation to present these items to be distributed to you to provide some relief to you and we pray the situation goes down so you could return to your normal duties”.

Mr. Abdul Ganiyu said a team of field inspectors had already visited the affected victims a day before the items were provided for by the government “and so we will ensure that the items end up in the hands of the victims and not into wrong hands.”

Traditional leadership in the community were grateful for the gesture.

Source:citifmonline.com