Residents of coastal communities in the Anlo District have told their Member of Parliament they no longer want relief items such as food, mattresses or blankets, insisting instead on a permanent engineering solution to the worsening sea erosion and flooding in the area.

The MP for Anlo, Richard Kwame Sefe, disclosed the position of his constituents on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, saying affected communities had explicitly asked him not to lead any delegation bringing relief supplies.

“They are tired of the whole thing… if it is better, they go hungry and die than to what the government… they now live in makeshift buildings. And still nobody listens,” he said, describing the frustration and despair among residents.

His comments come against the backdrop of worsening coastal erosion and lagoon flooding that continues to displace families in parts of the Volta Region, with several communities repeatedly relocated over the years.

Mr Sefe said some families have now been forced into their third resettlement sites after successive waves of displacement caused by the encroaching sea and rising water levels.

He explained that the Shima area alone has about 36 communities at risk, while the Coma area has roughly nine communities, all facing similar threats.

The MP added that the situation is further worsened during heavy rainfall periods, when river overflow coincides with lagoon flooding, intensifying destruction.

“When the rains come, and the lagoon also overflows, the problem becomes doubled,” he noted.

Mr Sefe also referenced what he described as years of unsuccessful engagement with relevant authorities, including repeated correspondence by his predecessor to the Volta River Authority (VRA), which he said yielded little progress.

He criticised what he called repeated relief-style responses to a structural problem, saying communities are no longer interested in temporary interventions.

According to him, residents are demanding concrete action, including dredging of the Volta estuary, which they believe is central to controlling the flooding and erosion cycle.