The Amnesty International Ghana, has described the demolishing exercise at Old Fadama as untimely and insensitive.
Director, Robert Akoto Amoafo in a statement on Thursday said indicated that the act carried out by the Ministry of Water and Sanitation and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), impedes efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19 pandemic.
He noted that, in times like this, government institutions and agencies must collaborate to curb the spread of Covid-19 questioning government’s commitment to providing protection to the most vulnerable people in the slum.
“All governments and other actors involved in responding to the Covid-19 must ensure that international human rights laws and standards are at the centre of all responses to the disease, in order to best protect public health and support people who are most at risk of adverse impacts,” he stated.
He then called on the institutions responsible to as a matter of urgency, halt all further demolition at Old Fadama or make alternative arrangements to relocate the residents, before continuing any demolition in the community.
He also asked that affected persons be provided with temporary places to reside to prevent them from possibly contracting the disease.
A demolishing exercise carried out on Wednesday, April 15, at Old Fadama rendered over 1,000 people homeless.
Although the Chief Executive Officer of AMA promised to provide a temporary shelter for affected people, that was not the reality when Joy News’ Kwesi Parker-Wilson visited the place at night.
Residents were sleeping in the open.
Read the full statement of Amnesty International Ghana Below:
SOURCE: .myjoyonline.com
