For the past two years, hundreds of Burkinabes who moved into border communities in the region after fleeing from attacks together with residents of the host communities continue to grapple with the challenge of inadequate water supply.

This is because asylum seekers are competing with the local residents in the usage of water sources in the communities, a development which has become a great source of worry for the people.

As part of efforts to tackle the challenge, three border communities hosting Burkinabe asylum seekers have been provided with solar-powered mechanised boreholes valued at GH¢440,000.

The communities are Fatega and Kare in the Bawku West District and Kugri in the Garu District. Each of the boreholes has an overhead tank coupled with extended water points for both the asylum seekers and host communities.

Project

The project was executed by Changing Lives in Innovative Partnerships (CLIP), a non-governmental organisation, in collaboration with Acting For Life (AFL) with funding from the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) of the United Kingdom (UK) High Commission.

It was the third phase project undertaken under the Supporting Agropastoralism to reinforce Social Cohesion in the cross-border territories of Ghana and Burkina Faso (SAPSOC 3).

Compounded problems

The Director of CLIP, Lukman Yussif, at separate ceremonies to inaugurate the projects, said the presence of the asylum seekers in the communities had further compounded the problems of the local people, especially access to water.

He noted that aside from the water challenges, the communities were faced with undue pressure on health and other facilities, as well as the scarcity of food, saying: “Therefore, it was not out of place for CLIP to come to their aid to address one of their pressing challenges”.

He said the district assemblies approached them for urgent support, which they provided through the organisation’s thematic areas of work, including facilitating peaceful co-existence between host communities and trans-humans.

While commending the UK High Commission for the funding support, he entreated the beneficiary communities to take good care of the projects for them to serve the intended purposes.

Relief

The Board Chairman of CLIP, Alhaji Issah Salifu, said aside from the provision of the boreholes, the asylum seekers had requested other livelihood support which had been taken on board for consideration.

He pleaded with the residents of the host communities to continue to live with the asylum seekers on humanitarian grounds, as it would improve bilateral relations between Ghana and Burkina Faso.

The Assembly member for the Sapeilga Electoral Area, James Agaogo, said that although the people were initially hosting the asylum seekers, their fears were allayed, paving the way for them to live with them.

He pledged to ensure regular maintenance of the project to prolong its lifespan to provide potable water to the people.

The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Bawku West, Daniel Anania Atampoba, commended the organisation for its timely intervention as the communities were in dire need of water for household and other economic activities.