Dr. Kwabena Donkor, the Member of Parliament for Pru East, has expressed concerns about a potential food shortage in Ghana in 2024.
His prediction is based on the extensive flooding of communities along the Volta Lake caused by the lake’s banks being breached due to excess water inflow.
During an interview, Dr. Donkor highlighted the severity of the flooding, which has submerged entire communities, including critical infrastructure like healthcare facilities and schools.
He emphasized that the flooding crisis extends beyond humanitarian concerns to encompass public health and education. Schools in his constituency, for instance, have been forced to close due to flooding.
Dr. Donkor further explained that the flooding’s impact is exacerbated by the fact that farmlands in multiple regions, including Pru, Oti, Bono East, Savannah, and the Northern Region, have been inundated. This, he believes, could lead to a significant food scarcity and insecurity in 2024, as crops have not survived the flooding.
The flooding issue began around June and July 2023 but had not received significant attention, as it was not widely covered by the media.
So far, the affected communities have only received communal assistance.
Nine communities in the Pru East District of the Bono East Region have been submerged due to the Volta Lake breaking its banks, displacing over 2,500 people.
The most severely affected communities include Kobre Nsuano, Pentecost Nsuano, Adiembra, Fanteakura, Tokobikope, Tonka, Agokope, and Logakope, among others.
The controlled spillage from the Akosombo and Kpong Dams, initiated by the Volta River Authority (VRA) in September 2023 due to rising water levels in the Akosombo reservoir, has displaced over 30,000 people in various communities in the Volta and Eastern regions.
