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President John Dramani Mahama has presented relief items to residents affected by recent flooding in Hohoe and announced a donation of 5,000 bags of cement to support the reconstruction of homes destroyed in the disaster.
President Mahama made the announcement on Friday when he visited the Hohoe Zongo to assess the extent of the damage and sympathise with residents affected by the floods.
The flooding, triggered by continuous rainfall that caused the River Dayi to overflow its banks, displaced more than 5,000 people and destroyed homes and other properties in several low-lying communities across the municipality.
President Mahama attributed the severity and unpredictability of the flooding to changing weather patterns associated with climate change.
“There’s something we call climate change. And so it’s leading to what we call extreme weather phenomena,” he said.
He noted that rainfall patterns had become increasingly difficult to predict, with periods of excessive rainfall alternating with prolonged dry spells.
“This is not something that happens every year. But now, at times, the rain falls excessively, and sometimes there’s a drought; it doesn’t fall at all. So now you can’t predict how the weather will behave,” he added.
According to the President, heavy rainfall in neighbouring Togo also contributed to the rise in water levels in the River Dayi, resulting in the flooding of communities along the river.
He explained that the continuous rains in Togo sent large volumes of water downstream, flooding low-lying areas of Hohoe, particularly the Zongo and other riverside communities.
President Mahama said the relief items provided by the Presidency were meant to offer immediate support to affected residents as they begin the recovery process.
He further disclosed that the owner of Dzata Cement had pledged 5,000 bags of cement to help families whose houses were destroyed by the floods.
“The owner of Dzata Cement, who happens to be my younger brother, has also promised 5,000 bags of cement to help the people whose houses have been destroyed,” President Mahama said.
The President tasked the Hohoe Member of Parliament, the Municipal Chief Executive and the Volta Regional Minister with ensuring that the relief items are distributed fairly to residents who were directly affected.
He also commended traditional leaders, local authorities and government agencies, including the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), for their response to the disaster.
President Mahama additionally conveyed the sympathies of his wife, Lordina Mahama, to residents affected by the floods.
Meanwhile, affected residents have appealed for long-term interventions to address the causes of flooding and prevent similar disasters from occurring in the future.
Image source: The Presidency (Republic of Ghana)