Accra, Ghana (PANA) - Recent floods in the three northern regions of Ghana have claimed the lives of 47 people, displaced thousands of others, killed hundreds of livestock and damaged over 38,000 acres of crops.
The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) told a press briefing in Accra Tuesday that most of the deaths were from cholera and other water-borne diseases caused by use of polluted water.
Kofi Portuphy, National Co-ordinator of NADMO, said a total of 38,208 acres of farm crops estimated at several millions of cedis were destroyed. He said 653 villages were affected, 9,924 houses were submerged and 1,197,839 persons were displaced.
The massive flooding has also resulted in the death of several hundreds of livestock, he said.
Over a week of torrential rains in the north of the country caused rivers to burst their banks, he added. The situation was aggravated when Burkina Faso opened the spillways of two of its hydroelectric dams.
Portuphy said the floods impacted on 174 communities, affected 2,864 houses, 14,847 persons and caused ten deaths in the Upper-West region.
On agricultural production, he said crops affected are 10,998 acres of maize, 9,212 acres of Guinea corn, 3,974 acres of yam, 3,463 acres of cassava, 1,480 areas of rice, 90 acres of cowpeas, and 106 acres of groundnuts.
Portuphy said relief items have been sent to the affected people while efforts are being made to re-construct bridges and roads. He commended government, the armed forces, NGOs, medical personnel, individuals and organisations who came to the aid of the victims.
Professor Francis Nkrumah, Chairman of the Epidemic Disasters technical sub- committee, said a joint relief team was sent to the three regions.
The team assessed the extent of damage to life and property, strengthened the regional and district disaster management teams, provided medical assistance, food and relief to the victims and embarked on the evacuation of displaced persons.