World Vision Ghana, as a child-focused relief and emergency advocacy organisation, is committing two (2) million dollars (24 million Ghana cedis) over one year to support those affected by the Volta Basin flooding.
This follows a declaration of flooding in the Volta Basin as a Category I Disaster by World Vision’s West Africa Regional and Ghana offices. This support is aimed at saving lives, alleviating suffering, and supporting children and their families displaced by the flood.
The declaration and subsequent allocation of funds will enable the organisation to adequately respond to the numerous needs in the flood-affected communities.
“The intervention will focus on the supply of safe drinking water, quality sanitation, and hygiene services; provide access to continuing education for all children; deliver diverse food and livelihood support to the affected, including farmers, fishermen, artisans, as well revamp economic activities.
The funds will support to create access to quality healthcare service for children, pregnant mothers, and the most vulnerable people in the affected communities”, said, Samuel Gmalu, Humanitarian and Emergence Affairs Manager at World Vision Ghana.
The Volta River Authority (VRA), operators and managers of the Akosombo and Kpong Dams carried out controlled spillage to protect the structural integrity of the dams.
This, however, resulted in flooding in some parts of the country, mostly in the Volta basin regions of the Volta, Eastern, Greater Accra, Oti, and Savanna Regions. The flood displaced thousands of people, destroyed properties and food items, disrupted education and healthcare service delivery, halted teaching and learning, and disrupted trading and livelihood activities.
Over 58 communities with an estimated population 50, 000 people were displaced in the affected communities in the North Tongu, Central Tongu, South Tongu, Shai Osuduko, Asougyaman, Anlo, Krachi East, Krachi West, Krachi Nchumuru, East, and Central Gonja Districts.
A response coordination centre has been established, led by the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the Volta River Authority (VRA), to coordinate efforts to respond to emergencies.
The major areas of need according to the Inter-Agency Working Group on Emergencies (IAWE) in Ghana include WASH, food security, education, shelter, health and nutrition, and child protection. “There is an urgent need to respond to these needs to alleviate the suffering of the affected people”, said Samuel Gmalu, Health and Emergency Manager at World Vision Ghana.
“The declaration of this incidence as a category I disaster and a subsequent allocation of 2 million dollars will enable World Vision Ghana to appropriately provide critical services to save lives, restore livelihoods, revamp economic and trading activities, and create an opportunity for a continuing access to education, healthcare, safe drinking water, quality sanitation and hygiene services,” said, Samuel Gmalu, Humanitarian and Emergence Affairs Manager.
Appeal for support and collaboration
World Vision Ghana therefore appeals for funding support from organisations and individuals to enable the organisation to provide safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), education and health infrastructure, and services to displaced people, including children and women.
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice.
