Ghana Red Cross warns climate change is intensifying flood disasters as it appeals for national response

The Secretary General of the Ghana Red Cross Society (GRCS), Mr Eric Gregory Kwatia, has warned that Ghana’s increasing exposure to climate change and extreme weather events is placing unprecedented pressure on humanitarian response systems, calling for a united national effort to protect vulnerable communities from future disasters. Speaking at the official launch of the Ghana Red Cross Society’s emergency flood response operation in Accra on Friday, July 30, Mr Kwatia said the devastating floods that struck four regions in June should serve as a wake-up call for the country to strengthen disaster preparedness, resilience and coordinated emergency response. “The June floods are a stark reminder of Ghana’s growing vulnerability to climate change and extreme weather events,” he said.

“The humanitarian needs are immense and the window to act is now.” His remarks came as the Ghana Red Cross Society, with support from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), unveiled a GH¢8.3 million Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) operation aimed at assisting 30,000 flood victims over the next six months. However, Mr Kwatia stressed that while emergency relief remains essential, the scale of recent disasters demonstrates that humanitarian organisations cannot respond effectively without sustained collaboration between government institutions, development partners, the private sector and local communities. “We cannot do it alone,” he told journalists.

“We need the shared responsibility and commitment of government agencies, the United Nations, non-governmental organisations, the private sector, the media and every Ghanaian. Together we can prevent further suffering and help communities recover.” Mr Kwatia recounted how successive episodes of exceptionally heavy rainfall during the peak of Ghana’s major rainy season culminated in catastrophic flooding on June 29. Despite repeated severe weather advisories issued by the Ghana Meteorological Agency warning of possible flash floods, prolonged rainfall lasting more than 13 hours overwhelmed rivers, streams and drainage systems, causing widespread flooding across Greater Accra, Central, Volta and Western North Regions.

The disaster exposed the growing vulnerability of both urban and rural communities to increasingly intense weather events, with floodwaters destroying homes, roads, bridges a… The Ghana Red Cross Society (GRCS), with support from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), has officially launched a six-month emergency response operation valued at approximately GH¢8.3 million to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance to thousands of people affected by the devastating floods that ravaged parts of Ghana in June. Launching the operation at a press briefing in Accra on Friday, the Secretary General of the Ghana Red Cross Society, Eric Gregory Kwatia, described the floods as one of the most severe humanitarian disasters to hit the country in recent years, stressing that the magnitude of the destruction required an urgent, coordinated and sustained response.

Speaking on behalf of the Ghana Red Cross Society and the IFRC, Mr Kwatia said the launch underscored the commitment of the global Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to stand alongside the Government of Ghana and affected communities during one of their most difficult moments. “We are gathered here today with a sense of urgency and a shared purpose to respond to one of the most severe flood emergencies our country has faced in recent years,” he said. “The scale of the disaster demands immediate, coordinated and life-saving action.” He explained that the operation would provide integrated humanitarian assistance to 30,000 vulnerable people across Greater Accra, Central, Volta and Western North Regions, which were hardest hit by the floods.

Mr Kwatia recounted that the disaster followed successive periods of exceptionally heavy rainfall recorded during the peak of Ghana’s major rainy season in June 2026. Although the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) had issued several severe weather warnings forecasting flash floods across southern Ghana, the situation worsened dramatically during the early hours of June 29, when more than 13 hours of continuous torrential rainfall overwhelmed rivers, streams and urban drainage systems. The unprecedented downpour resulted in widespread flooding across the four affected regions, submerging entire communities, cutting off roads, destroying homes and damaging critical infrastructure.