President John Mahama has disclosed that nearly 48,000 residents have been displaced by the devastating floods that followed the torrential rains which lashed parts of the Greater Accra Region on June 29, as the government intensifies emergency relief and recovery efforts.

The President said the disaster, described as one of the worst to hit the capital in recent years, had left thousands without shelter, claimed lives and caused extensive destruction to homes, businesses and public infrastructure.

President Mahama made the disclosure on Friday, July 3, when he addressed the media after bilateral discussions with the President of Sierra Leone and current Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Julius Maada Bio, who paid a solidarity visit to Ghana following the catastrophe.

Giving an update on the humanitarian situation, the President said emergency assessments indicated that tens of thousands of people had been forced from their homes by the floods.

"This downpour was huge, and we estimate that about 48,000 people were rendered homeless by the downpour, and 12 are confirmed dead; seven are still unaccounted for. We have asked the military and the joint task force to immediately mobilise and bring things back as quickly as possible," he said.

Recovery operations

President Mahama said the Ghana Armed Forces, working alongside other state agencies, had already commenced large-scale cleanup operations across affected communities to restore normalcy.

He explained that soldiers were clearing clogged drains and waterways, removing debris and collecting refuse deposited across the city by the floodwaters to minimise the risk of further flooding and facilitate rehabilitation efforts.

"The Army has started to clear waterways, clear garbage and clear debris that was thrown all over the city by rainfall. And we expect that in a week or two things will normalise," he added.

Relief support

The President further announced that the Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, had authorised the release of emergency resources from the government's contingency fund to support ongoing relief operations.

He said the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), in collaboration with other government agencies, would soon begin distributing essential relief supplies to families displaced by the floods.

The assistance package, he said, would include mattresses, blankets, towels and other basic household items to provide immediate support for affected households as they begin rebuilding their lives.

President Mahama also expressed appreciation to President Bio and the people of Sierra Leone for demonstrating solidarity with Ghana during the difficult period.

"We appreciate his message of sympathy," President Mahama said.

President Bio's visit underscored regional support for Ghana following the disaster, with the ECOWAS Chairman extending condolences to bereaved families and expressing confidence in Ghana's ability to recover from the tragedy.

The June 29 floods inundated several communities across the Greater Accra Region after hours of intense rainfall, submerging homes, businesses and roads, disrupting transportation and economic activity, and prompting large-scale rescue operations by the military, police, fire service, NADMO and other emergency response agencies.

Government has since stepped up recovery efforts while authorities continue search-and-rescue operations for the seven people who remain missing and assess the full extent of damage caused by the disaster.