6 Die in Savelugu, Nanton floods; 2,459 others displaced

Six persons died, while 2,459 others, including 45 pregnant women, were displaced in the recent floods that occurred in the Savelugu municipality and the Nanton District in the Northern Region.

A total of 906 acres of farmland was also destroyed, while 285 houses collapsed in the process.

The flood situation, which lasted for about two months in those areas and other parts of the region, was made worse by the spillage of water from the Bagre Dam in neighbouring Burkina Faso.

The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) Coordinator responsible for Savelugu and Nanton, Mr Alhassan M. Sulemana, disclosed this in an interview with the Daily Graphic during a tour of the affected areas where the water has since receded.

Appeal

The victims are yet to receive relief items from the government.

Mr Sulemana, therefore, appealed to non-governmental organisations (NGOs), philanthropists and corporate institutions to go to the aid of the affected people.

For his part, the Assembly Member for the Kukobila Electoral Area, who is also the NADMO zonal coordinator for the area, Mr Mohammed Chimsi, described the situation of the people as pathetic.

According to him, most of the victims were currently living with relatives and friends.

Some of the victims — Osman Dawuni, Ibrahim Shaibu, Mohammed Abubakari and Mukayali Dawuni, all farmers — claimed that their maize, rice and soybean farms had all been destroyed in the floods.

Recall

The Bagre Dam in neighbouring Burkina Faso was spilled in August this year, causing havoc in the three regions of the north.

The situation was compounded by continuous rains, leading to flooding and loss of lives. Farmlands, homes, roads and other properties were also destroyed.