The Catholic Church has raised alarm over the severe impact of the Gbiniyiri conflict on essential services in the Sawla District of the Savannah Region.
Assistant Diocesan Director of Health for the Damongo Diocese, Aiden Ngmenbon, said the violence, which has spread to Kalba and nearby communities, forced the closure of the St. Joseph Health Centre in Kalba. Health workers fled for safety, leaving residents to travel to the Good Shepherd Health Centre in Tuna for medical care.
Speaking after the Church donated relief items, including gari, clothing, bar soaps, and sachet water to displaced persons at a refugee camp in Sawla, Ngmenbon urged refugees to maintain good sanitation to avoid disease outbreaks.
On the religious front, Rev. Father Martin Kunsangnayiri, Parish Priest of Sawla, revealed that all 30 Catholic outstations in the district have suspended services as members fled their homes. He lamented that the conflict has also disrupted education, with both teachers and students unwilling to return to school despite its reopening.
“The situation is dire. We appeal for peace because the use of guns cannot solve disputes,” he said.
Meanwhile, Savannah Regional NADMO Director Zackaria Mahama thanked the Catholic Diocese for its intervention and assured residents that peace efforts are underway to enable displaced persons to return home.
