Despair is etched on the face of a mother as she bathes her child in a metallic basin, just a few meters away from her tent.
After another scoop from the bucket, the woman, presumably in her late 30s, gently nudges her son’s right leg back into the metal basin as he seems uncomfortable in this new environment.
However, this is something they may have to adjust to, a life thrust upon them by disaster.
This is the change that the victims of the flooding in the Volta Region are expected to shoulder.
Residents in Mepe are doing their best to shake off the loss and trauma they experienced when their homes were inundated after the Volta River Authority (VRA) opened the spillways of the Akosombo and Kpong dams.
Mepe is one of the towns severely affected by flooding in the Volta Region, among the eight districts hardest hit by this man-made disaster.
The VRA started the water spillage on September 15, due to a consistent rise in the inflow pattern and water level of the dams’ reservoirs.
Several facilities have been converted into emergency shelters to house the families downstream displaced by this calamity.
St. Kizito JHS in Mepe is one such facility, currently accommodating around 1,200 people, making it the largest single campsite along the lower Volta Basin.
According to the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), over 26,000 people have been displaced by floods in Mepe and other parts of North Tongu district.
Other low-lying affected by the flooding include Battor, Sogakope, Mafi, Adidome, and Ada.
The severity of this humanitarian crisis has necessitated interventions from philanthropists, the government, and various unions.
The victims have no choice but to adapt to a new way of life until this ordeal passes.
Some were seen cooking, while others engaged in household chores, and children played on the vast school compound.
On the other hand, the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) warns of a potential outbreak of cholera and other waterborne diseases due to the use of polluted water.
Photojournalist Samuel Moore captured some of these moments from the campsite.
Find more photos below:
This article was written by Kenneth Awotwe Darko with images from Samuel Moore.
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