Child Rights International (CRI), a non-governmental organisation, has revealed that recent dam spillages in the Akosombo and Kpone areas have negatively impacted an estimated 10,896 children in Ghana’s Volta and Eastern regions, triggering urgent calls for assistance.
During a press briefing in Accra, Bright Appiah, the Executive Director of CRI, underscored the dire need for organisations to rally support, emphasising child welfare in the flood-stricken areas. He urged corporations, NGOs, and philanthropic individuals to bolster the National Disaster Management Organisation’s (NADMO) efforts to safeguard children from potential disease outbreaks and other ensuing threats from the catastrophe.
In solidarity, CRI’s team contributed an unspecified financial donation to NADMO to ease the children’s plight. The organisation, true to its advocacy, expedited assessments to strategize its relief initiatives, immediately channelling essentials like food, clothing, and shelter to those in distress.
Beyond immediate relief, CRI is collaborating with authorities to guarantee uninterrupted education for the children affected. The NGO pledged sustained support, ensuring the children and their families have secure shelter, consistent food supplies, and access to vital amenities, including education.
Graphic Online reported that the crisis ensued when the Volta River Authority (VRA) began spilling excess water from the Akosombo and Kpong hydro dams on September 15, 2023, due to surging water levels. The resultant flooding wreaked havoc across seven districts and forced thousands from their homes, with consequential damages to infrastructure, including schools, and severe restrictions on movement.
Currently, displaced families, especially children, face hardships, including limited access to food and shelter. The VRA noted that the water level in the Akosombo Dam, as of October 12, was recorded at 276.92 feet, surpassing the maximum safe threshold of 276 feet. This surge contrasts starkly with figures before the spillage and data from the same period in the previous year.
The spillage’s repercussions extend beyond immediate community borders, causing substantial power outages due to the inundation of the GRIDCo sub-station at Fievie, Sogakope, forcing its closure and further complicating the crisis.
