1,865 Displaced in Walewale

MP Walewale

Over 1,865 persons including 18 pregnant women and 319 under five children have been displaced by heavy rainstorm at Walewale in the West Mamprusi District of the Northern Region. 

Close to 300 houses, 8 classrooms and mosques were completely roofed off, with electricity polls and other economic trees such as mango, dawadawa and shea nuts being uprooted by the devastating storm in three communities. The communities are Yama, Zua and Mishio. 

Last week, another devastating rainstorm disaster hit 8 communities in Walewale rendering 995 persons homeless. In that incident, several bags of maize, millet, groundnut and rice as well as clothings, TV sets and textbooks of affected school children were destroyed.

Rainstorm disaster and flooding have become virtually an annual occurrence in most parts of Northern Region.  It has destroyed several public and individual buildings and displaced several thousands of inhabitants including women and children. 

However, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Walewale, Dr. Sagre Bambangi has visited the over 1,865 persons who were affected by the rainstorm disaster. The MP in the company of the West Mamprusi District NADMO Coordinator, Mr. James Wunira sympathized with the victims. 

Fortunately no human lives were lost. At the time of the visit, some of the victims had no places to keep their salvaged properties. Some were also already making efforts to renovate their houses while others were perching with friends and relatives in the nearby communities. 

Dr. Sagre said that the magnitude of the disaster was above the capacity of an MP and even the District Assembly and therefore appealed to government and other benevolent organizations to support the victims especially the pregnant women and the under five children. 

In the interim, majority of the people according to the MP, needed some roofing sheets, roofing nails, wood and food aid to survive. He expressed the need for urgent attention for the affected schools to be re-roofed or renovated before the beginning of next term. 

The affected schools had closed down at the time of the visit. Dr. Sagre was particularly worried about the quality of materials used in the buildings, and the inability of most of the people to plant trees around their compounds to serve as wind brakes.

He however promised to do advocacy campaign to solicit for support from government, NGOs, Religious Organisations and other donor agencies to come to the aid of the victims.

The West Mamprusi District NADMO Boss, Mr. James Wunira expressed worry about the frequent disasters occurring in the district. He said that his outfit had done thorough assessment on the situation and gathered the necessary information for some action to be taken by the NADMO headquarters. 

He appealed to heads of schools and community members to plant more trees in and around their compounds to mitigate the effects of climate change emerging in the district. 

Mr. Wunira appealed to government to resource the District NADMO secretariats to be able to handle some emergency situations.