Interior Minister Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka issued an impassioned plea to Parliament on Tuesday, June 18, urging immediate intervention to address Ghana’s escalating flood crisis.
He warned that bureaucratic delays and chronic underfunding are crippling the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), leaving communities vulnerable to widespread destruction.
“Climate change is no longer a distant threat. It is here with us, manifesting in deadly floods and widespread destruction. Our people are dying, losing homes, livelihoods, and dignity. We cannot continue with business as usual,” Muntaka told Parliament.
The minister revealed that since May, heavy rains have triggered flash floods in urban areas, river overflows in rural regions, and coastal inundations along Ghana’s 550km coastline. Poor drainage systems, human encroachment on waterways, and weak emergency preparedness have exacerbated the devastation.
NADMO activated its Flood Contingency Plan in March 2025, but the minister lamented that delayed funds, including donor contributions, have rendered the agency ineffective. “As we speak, the procurement warrant needed to implement this plan has not been received. Even donor funds lodged with the Ministry of Finance remain inaccessible. NADMO is essentially working blindfolded and handcuffed,” he said.
The plan outlines three phases: preparedness, response, and recovery, including desilting, evacuation route mapping, rescue operations, relief distribution, and resettlement. Despite mobilising support from the Ghana Armed Forces, National Fire Service, Police, and Ghana Meteorological Agency, NADMO’s efforts are hamstrung by a lack of resources.
“Imagine fire tenders performing market patrols when they should be rescuing people in submerged homes. We don’t even have enough featherweight pumps, life jackets, or ropes to work in these emergencies,” Muntaka stated.
A national flood risk assessment by the Ghana National Fire Service identified 86 fuel and gas stations in flood-prone areas, but logistical constraints prevent NADMO from repairing equipment, mobilising volunteers, or procuring protective gear for staff. “Our frontline workers are exposed. They are stretched thin, and many are leaving the service. We risk a total breakdown if action is not taken,” the minister warned.
The Interior Ministry is engaging the Ministry of Finance to release funds and seeking support from development partners and the private sector. Monthly clean-up exercises with the Ghana National Fire Service and local assemblies have begun, but Muntaka stressed the need for rapid scaling. “Our collaboration with the Ghana National Fire Service and local assemblies has already seen monthly clean-up exercises begin, but we need to scale up quickly,” he noted.
The minister appealed for urgent resourcing of NADMO and supporting agencies, cautioning that inaction would exact a heavy toll. “The cost of inaction is measured not just in cedis and pesewas, but in lives,” he stressed.
By Osumanu Al-Hassan/thenewsbulletin24.com