ACCRA, Ghana—At the end of August 2015, Jehovah’s Witnesses completed their relief efforts in Ghana’s capital, Accra, where severe flooding devastated property and killed more than 200 people.

While no Witnesses lost their lives, some 250 were displaced by the floods. On June 4, 2015, the day after the flooding, the branch office of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Ghana set up a disaster relief committee, which focused on caring for individuals’ immediate needs by providing blankets, clothing, and water. The relief committee also arranged to clean and repair flooded residences. Witnesses in the Accra area assisted by opening their homes temporarily to accommodate displaced fellow believers.

Flooding caused an explosion at a petrol station that damaged pipes in Adabraka, cutting off the area’s water supply. The branch office set up a water tank at the Adabraka Kingdom Hall (a place of worship) for the Witnesses and their neighbors.

On Saturday, June 6, the branch office dispatched two medical teams, a total of five Witness doctors and two nurses, to care for their fellow worshippers and other victims in Alajo and Adabraka. They treated a variety of health issues, such as malaria, chest infections, and diarrhea. Representatives of the branch office and local Witnesses also visited their fellow worshippers to provide spiritual and emotional comfort.

Spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses in Ghana, Nathaniel Gbedemah, comments: “We are pained by the destruction and loss of life caused by the flooding in Accra. As Jehovah’s Witnesses have done in other parts of the world, we are doing all we can to respond to the emotional, physical, and spiritual needs of those in our community affected by this disaster.”

Media Contact(s):

International: J. R. Brown, Office of Public Information, tel. +1 718 560 5000

Ghana: Nathaniel Gbedemah, tel. +233 30 701 0110