The Ho West district Assembly in the Volta region has evacuated school children who have been stranded in some farming communities in the district following the flooding of the access route to the communities.
Recent torrential rains in the Bokorvikope, Andokope and Dakekope communities, located about 7km away from Awudome-Tsito, off the Ho-Asikuma-Accra highway, have caused a nearby river, Tsawe, to overrun its banks and submerged the only access route connecting the communities.
The floods which compelled children from the Dakekope and Andokope to virtually swim through the flush floods to only community school at Bokorvikope in the past weeks also submerged several acres crop farms.
As a result, the Ho West district assembly has stepped in to relocate the affected children to the school community, for the remainder of the academic term.
Mr. Ernest Victor Apau, DCE for the area told Starr News’ Correspondent Lambert Atsivor during an assessment tour of the area that the move is a temporary measure to keep the children in school whiles steps are taken to permanently address the perennial flooding in the area.
“We arranged with the elderly men to help us evacuate the children from the other side of the river to Bokorvikope and as at now, they have successfully evacuated majority of the students. We’re in partnership with NADMO [National Disaster Management Organization] and philanthropists to be able to support them till the academic term elapses,” he stated.
He added “We’re also here with the engineers from Feeder roads to assess the possibility of constructing a proper bridge across the river; even if not a drive way bridge, a footbridge to solve the problem permanently.”
Looming Food Crisis
The devastation caused by the floods to cassava, maize and yam farms in the communities, have left the inhabitants to express fear of a food crisis.
An opinion leader, Atidiga Wodupe told Starr News they risk starving if government does not intervene immediately.
He said “all our farms have been taken over by the floods. Our cassava, Maize, and yam crops have all been destroyed. We’re very distressed with the situation and we need an immediate help. So we plead with government to come to our aid.”
However, the Ho West district Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Robert Ameh, has indicated that the outfit was currently out of relief items to support the victims, adding that, an assessment report has been sent to the Regional and National Headquarters of NADMO for assistance.