Floods Leave 246 Homeless as 93 Houses Collapse in North East Gonja
At least 93 houses have collapsed, leaving more than 246 residents without shelter after heavy rainfall caused severe flooding in parts of the North East Gonja District in the Savannah Region.
The floods have also destroyed food stocks, farm produce and livestock, while damaging a major feeder road and cutting off communities including Lantung Park, Kedingi and Kanankula from neighbouring areas.
The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) said the flooding followed continuous rainfall that started on Wednesday.
NADMO Savannah Regional Director, Mahama Zakaria, who led an assessment of the affected communities, said the extent of the damage had been recorded and situation reports submitted to the organisation’s head office.
According to him, relief items could be delivered to the affected residents within 48 hours.
“Our immediate priority is to assess the extent of the damage and provide support to residents who have been displaced,” Mr Zakaria said.
However, residents say the floods have caused losses that go beyond the destruction of their homes.
One of the affected residents, Luckman Musah, said the floodwaters had destroyed his bags of soybeans, maize and rice, in addition to his livestock.
“I have lost bags of soybeans, maize and rice, as well as my livestock, to the floods,” he said.
Mr Musah appealed to the government and other organisations to urgently assist families affected by the disaster.
“We are appealing to the government and other stakeholders to come to our aid because we have lost our homes, food and sources of livelihood,” he added.
The flooding has also disrupted transportation after part of a feeder road connecting the affected communities to the local market was washed away.
The road serves as an important route for residents transporting farm produce and other goods to the market, with residents warning that continued inaccessibility could worsen the economic impact of the floods.
Eric, a business operator in the area, said traders were already experiencing difficulties because of the damaged road.
“The damaged road has affected our businesses because customers and traders can no longer move freely between the communities and the market,” he said.
The disruption is also expected to affect the movement of food and other essential commodities, while district authorities have expressed concerns about residents’ access to healthcare in the affected communities.
The District Chief Executive for North East Gonja, Abdul Mumin Ewuntomah, confirmed that about 93 structures had collapsed across the district.
He also disclosed that residents from communities around Bimbila who depend on the road to access the local market had been cut off following the damage.
“This road is very important because it links several communities to the market. People from around Bimbila also use it to engage in trading and other economic activities,” he said.
“If the route is not fixed, many people will not be able to come to the market, and this will affect businesses and livelihoods,” he added.
Mr Ewuntomah has therefore appealed to the National Security, the Minister of Roads and Highways, and the Department of Feeder Roads to treat the damaged road as an emergency and take steps to restore access to the affected communities.
