By Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Bolgatanga, July 24, GNA – Caritas Ghana, a development wing of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, has given the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Catholic Diocese a sum of GH₵30,000.00 to assist vulnerable people displaced by disasters, emergencies, and insecurity among another humanitarian crisis.
The gesture is to assist the efforts of the diocese to provide relief and support services to people who are internally displaced due to challenges like floods and conflicts.
It is also to boost the interventions of the diocese to manage and provide support for immigrants due to attacks by extremists and terrorists in neighbouring countries, particularly Burkina Faso.
Apart from the perennial floods and the internal land and chieftaincy conflicts which had exposed many vulnerable communities to extreme humanitarian crisis, more than 3,000 immigrants are currently seeking asylum in some districts in the Upper East Region.
At a ceremony in Bolgatanga to present the cheque, Mr Thomas Awiapo, the National Director, Caritas Ghana, said the donation was to assist the diocese in its response measures to victims affected by disasters, emergencies, conflicts, and another humanitarian crisis.
He said the diocese was currently dealing with the influx of immigrants from Burkina Faso, coupled with internal challenges and as a development wing with a core value anchored on love, it was important to extend a helping hand to the displaced persons.
He said based on available data, Caritas Ghana had already donated GH₵40,000.00 to Keta-Akatsi Catholic Diocese, to assist victims of the tidal waves while GH₵10,000.00 each was given to Wa and Damongo Catholic Dioceses who were also battling to contain the influx of immigrants from neighbouring countries.
“We are making the donation to Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese on behalf of Caritas Ghana and the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference to support victims of conflict, security issues and disasters.
“It is not a lot, but we know it starts somewhere, we know UNHCR is here supporting but charity begins at home,” he said.
Receiving the cheque on behalf of Most Reverend Alfred Agyenta, the Bishop of the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Catholic Diocese, Very Reverend Father Lawrence Azure, the Vicar General of the Diocese commended Caritas Ghana for the kind gesture.
He said it was heartwarming that Caritas Ghana had recognized the humanitarian crisis that confronted the diocese due to the influx of immigrants from Burkina Faso and displaced people from the Bawku conflict and the need to assist.
The Vicar General said humanitarian crisis in the region had become an albatross that posed food security issues to the host communities, adding “some of the immigrants go to farm for people to put body and soul together because the hosts are not able to take care of them.”
He gave the assurance that the money would be put to effective use to assist the victims and appealed for more support from other organisations and institutions.
GNA