Ghana is set to receive $150m from the World Bank as support over the spillage of the Akosombo Dam by the Volta River Authority in the Lower Volta where thousands of residents lost their homes due to the spillage.
VRA began the controlled water spillage from the Akosombo and Kpong Dams on September 15, 2023, citing a consistent rise in the inflow pattern and water level of the Akosombo reservoir as reasons.
Residents in South Tongu, North Tongu, Central Tongu, Asuogyaman, and several other areas had their homes submerged and others displaced due to the spillage.
Thousands were displaced as a result of the spillage as most of the victims lost their homes, farms, and businesses to floods.
Delivering an address at the 3rd Conference on Fisheries and Coastal Environment in Accra, Operations Manager of the World Bank in Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, Michelle Keane, said the World Bank sympathizes with victims of the flood.
Speaking at the 3rd Conference on Fisheries and Coastal Environment in Accra, Operations Manager of the World Bank in Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, Michelle Keane, conveyed the World Bank’s empathy to affected victims, while indicating her organization’s preparedness to assist government efforts.
She revealed that funds will be available very soon after parliamentary approval.
“We can’t speak about flooding today without conveying the World Bank’s sincere empathy and concern for the ten thousand of people who have been impacted by the recent floods along the Volta River. The World Bank would want to express its readiness to support the government in its response to this crisis.”
“In the longer term, developing a sustainability and risk management strategy for the Volta River and Volta Delta among other areas will be crucial to determine where it is safe for people to live and how their livelihoods can be sustained and grow along the Volta River supported by a healthy ecosystem.”
“We hope that the government and its partners will take full advantage of the $150 million approved by the World Bank for Ghana under the West Africa Coastal Areas Management Programme (WACA). The financing is expected to become available very soon after parliamentary approval,” Keane noted.
Ghana | Atinkaonline.com | Vivian Adu