The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has appealed for urgent support for more than 13,000 Ghanaians seeking asylum in neighbouring Ivory Coast following the conflict at Gbinyiri in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District of the Savannah Region.
Mr. Mahama Zakaria, Savannah Regional Director of NADMO, told the Ghana News Agency that the displaced persons were in desperate need of food, clothing, mosquito repellents, shelter, and other essential items.
He said the asylum seekers were currently being hosted in the Bourkani Region of the Ivory Coast, stressing that the humanitarian situation was overwhelming and required sustained intervention beyond the initial relief provided.
“NADMO, with the support of partners, has presented foodstuffs, mosquito repellents, clothes, and consumables to the victims, but the numbers are huge, and the needs are growing daily. We require more support to alleviate their plight,” he said.
Mr. Zakaria commended the Ivorian authorities for opening their doors to the displaced Ghanaians.
Meanwhile, Mr. Salisu Be-Awuribe, Savannah Regional Minister, has visited the refugees in the Ivory Coast to reassure them of the government’s commitment to resolving the conflict and restoring lasting peace to Gbinyiri and the surrounding communities.
The incident, which has now escalated to about 12 communities in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District in the Savannah Region, has also resulted in the displacement of about 48,000 people, mostly women and children, NADMO has said.
About 14,000 victims have crossed into neighbouring Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire to seek refuge, while thousands of others are being camped in makeshift tents at Sawla under the care of the Ghana Red Cross and NADMO.
The incident, which started on Sunday, August 24, 2025, was reportedly triggered by a disagreement over a parcel of land.
The official death toll could be much higher, with some residents claiming more than 200 people could have been killed since the clashes broke out.
Aside from that, some of the displaced are also said to have drowned while attempting to cross the Black Volta River into Côte d’Ivoire.
