Today 28th September in Bolgatanga of Ghana’s Upper-East Region, Caritas Ghana’s CEO Mr. Samuel Zan Akologo joined the Most Rev. Alfred Agyenta, the Bishop of Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese to appeal for more humanitarian assistance for the victims of the recent floods.
The floods were precipitated by incessant heavy rains and the spillage of the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso, North of the Upper East Region. Most Rev. Alfred Agyenta who was speaking at a very brief ceremony to receive the donation from Caritas Ghana, lamented about the seriousness of the humanitarian situation.
The Bishop said that so far eight of his rural parishes were the most hit by the disaster as most of the people have been displaced while others have lost their means of livelihoods and are taking temporary shelter in the Parishes and Schools. Most Rev. Alfred Agyenta invited his Diocesan Director responsible for Governance and Justice, Mr. Joseph Bangu to provide a brief situational report. Mr. Bangu provided detailed statistics so far collated on the situation of victims in the eight parishes which covers seven political administrative Districts in the Upper East and North East Regions.
The statistics covered 2,653 Households and 19,013 individuals comprising 6,197 Adults, 5,962 Children, 1,586 Women and Others including 7 deaths. Eleven thousand, four hundred and eighty-seven (11,487) Acres of farm lands with crops have been destroyed. Most Rev. Alfred Agyenta noted that the full humanitarian situation is yet to fully emerge since there are potential health implications from polluted water sources from the floods and expected poor harvest that cannot sustain families into the next farming season. He appealed for more help from benevolent organizations to ameliorate the conditions of those displaced.
This is the situation that the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference Humanitarian Agency, Caritas Ghana, has responded to with a donation of various food items and shelter materials comprising mats, clothing and blankets estimated at GHC70,000. A cheque for GH 10,000 was included to procure more food items locally to supplement the deliveries from Accra by Caritas Ghana.
The CEO of Caritas Ghana, Mr. Samuel Zan Akologo, thanked the Bishop of Navrongo-Bolgatanga for the passion and sense of mission with which his Diocese handled the humanitarian situation from their own efforts. He added to the appeal of the Bishop to Corporate Bodies to work with Faith Based Organizations like Caritas Ghana and others who have outreach at community levels to respond to the victims directly.
Mr. Zan Akologo indicated that Caritas Ghana will always to the admonition of Pope Francis never to feel overwhelmed by any humanitarian situation but instead respond to it in fraternal solidarity, no matter how small the resources available. Referring briefly to the Covid-19 and other environmental calamities, Mr. Zan Akologo paraphrased a quote from Laudato Si that the “Cry of the Earth is also the Cry of the Poor” indicating that the poor, weak and vulnerable are always disproportionately affected in these situations.
Credit : Caritas Ghana
