Gbenyiri conflict: Four dead at shelter camp in Wenchi

By Praisebell Rosemond Larbi

Four people, including three women and a teenage girl, have been confirmed dead at a shelter camp in Wenchi in the Bono Region, heightening concerns over the humanitarian toll of the recent Gbenyiri conflict.

Reports from the camp indicate that two of the victims had initially fallen ill and were rushed to Wenchi Hospital, where they later died while receiving medical attention.

The teenage girl was said to have died in the camp itself, while the fourth casualty, a woman believed to be in her early nineties, was transported back to her home community of Gbongbon in the Bole District, where she passed away two days after arrival.

Although official medical reports are yet to be released, camp sources suggest that the deaths may be linked to a combination of harsh weather conditions, lack of adequate health services, and pre-existing health complications that worsened after displacement.

“Many of the victims here are children and women. Some cannot cope with the challenges in this new environment. Others sustained injuries while fleeing the conflict, and some had pre-existing health conditions that have worsened since they arrived,” one source disclosed.

Attempts to reach camp authorities for confirmation or official comment on the deaths have so far been unsuccessful.

Aid workers, however, warn that the already vulnerable population of displaced persons remains at risk if urgent interventions in healthcare, food supply, and sanitation are not prioritised.

The latest fatalities bring to 36 the total number of lives lost as a direct or indirect result of the conflict, which erupted in Gbenyiri earlier this year.

The clashes, rooted in protracted chieftaincy and land disputes, have forced hundreds of residents to flee their homes in search of safety across multiple communities.

In addition to the Wenchi camp, other temporary shelters have been set up in Sawla, Vonkore in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba area, Techiman, Sobiriso (Numbers One and Two), and Sefi.

Further camps have been established across the border in Côte d’Ivoire, accommodating scores of displaced families who crossed in hopes of refuge.