By Muniratu Akweley Issah
Accra, June 21, GNA – The Ghana Refugee Board (GRB) says it is working towards the operationalisation of the refugee fund, Mr. Tetteh Padi, Executive Secretary of the Board, has said.
Mr Padi said the fund would support refugees and help them become self-reliant.
The Executive Secretary said this at the commemoration of the 2023 World Refugee Day in Accra, on the theme: “Hope away from home”.
World refugee day is observed each year on the 20th of June to honour the courage, strength and resilience of millions of men, women and children forced to flee their homes under the threat of persecution, conflict and violence.
The day is also observed to draw attention to their plight and recognise the contributions of refugees in the various communities that host them.
The Executive Secretary said refugees in Ghana must be supported to enable them to live meaningful life as well as enjoy their rights just as Ghanaians.
He said: “Refugees are like you and I, they come with skills, and are professionals, who have had to leave everything behind just to protect their lives…”
“We must all support refugees, they are not looking forward to being fed perpetually, but want to be supported to become independent and that is what the Board ably supported by the UNHCR and other partners, seek to do,” he added.
Ms. Esther Kiragu, United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), expressed worry that the rate of displacement was getting faster and bigger than the rate of finding solutions to existing conflicts, adding that “this is not a very good picture but that is the reality we find ourselves.”
She said Global statistics showed that over 100 million people had been forcibly displaced by conflict, and the numbers continued to rise, including that of Ghana.
Ms Kiragu said support systems were, therefore, necessary to enhance the capacity of refugees and rebuild them.
Professor Kenneth Agyemang Attafuah, Board Chairman of the GRB, said as part of efforts to ensure that persons, who found solace within the country’s borders kept hope alive, government had guaranteed that refugees and asylum seekers had access to basic social services such as access to health care, education, and livelihood.
He said: “Ghana remains committed to making sure that refugees do not only keep hope alive while they remain here but that they also develop themselves to enable them to make meaningful contribution to the communities they live in.”
He added that government through the implementation of the Ghana card programme, had authorised the issuance of a non-citizen identity card to refugees, which was critical in ensuring their inclusion in socio-economic activities given the significant role the Ghana card played in the country.
Ms Kwankia Appolonia, who spoke on behalf of the refugees in Ghana, expressed appreciation to the government, UNHCR and partners for the protection, peace, and security they were enjoying in the country.
GNA