'We eat only once a day' – Distraught victim of Gbiniyiri unrest cries

Displaced persons at the Sawla camp in the Savannah Region have decried dire humanitarian conditions following renewed clashes in the Gbiniyiri area.

Thousands of residents are currently being sheltered in makeshift camps at Sawla, where the Ghana Red Cross and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) are providing emergency support.

According to a graphiconline.com report on September 3, 2025, families were being fed only once a day.

“We are appealing to government, humanitarian agencies, and benevolent organisations to intervene. We are fed only once a day,” Agnes Dawuda, one of the victims lamented.

Death toll in Gbiniyiri hits 31 as violence clashes spread to 12 communities

Another displaced person, Alhassan Osman, added; “We left everything behind when the fighting started. Now, we have nothing to feed our children.”

The humanitarian crisis comes when at least 13 more people were reported killed in renewed clashes at Gbiniyiri over a land dispute, bringing the official death toll to 31.

The violence, which erupted on August 24, has spread to about 12 communities in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District, forcing nearly 48,000 residents, mostly women and children, to flee their homes.

While official figures put fatalities at 31, some residents alleged that the actual toll could exceed 200.

An earlier report also indicated that several displaced persons drowned while attempting to cross the Black Volta River into Côte d’Ivoire in search of safety.

The Savannah Regional Minister, Salisu Bi-Awuribe, said security had been reinforced to contain the violence.

He added that the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) was engaging the Yagbonwura and other traditional leaders to find a lasting resolution to the dispute.

Authorities have pledged continued dialogue with traditional leaders and security agencies in efforts to restore peace in the affected communities.

Northern Command reveals cause of Gbiniyiri violence

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