By Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Tarikom (U/E), Feb 24, GNA – The Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana, the Most Reverend Henryk Mieczyslaw Jagodzinski, has called on world leaders to work collaboratively to curb activities of violence extremists.
He said that would help reduce the number of displaced persons resulting from extremists’ attacks and related violence.
He expressed worry that many vulnerable people including the poor and needy continued to seek refuge outside their home countries creating a sense of a hopeless future for them due to attacks from violent extremists.
He said there was need for accelerated efforts to promote participation at all levels.
“When people of goodwill,… are involved in community life it will be possible to stop any extremist,” he said.
The Apostolic Nuncio made this call when he visited and interacted with the asylum seekers being hosted at Tarikom in the Bawku West District of the Upper East Region as part of his visit to the Catholic Diocese of Navrongo-Bolgatanga.
Apart from interacting with the asylum seekers to get first-hand information about the situation at the Reception and Resettlement Centres, Most Reverend Jagodzinski also celebrated a Holy Mass to pray with and for the asylum seekers.
He donated hygiene materials such as boxes of washing and bathing soap, toothpaste, and brushes among others to the asylum seekers.
The Apostolic Nuncio explained that issues of the poor and vulnerable were of great concern to the Holy Father, Pope Francis and he had established a special office termed as “Dicastery of Integral Human Development,” to work towards finding relief for people who were suffering.
Most Reverend Jagodzinski commended the government of Ghana and other stakeholders including the host communities for accepting and hosting the asylum seekers and called for stronger partnership to help them live dignified lives.
“It is very sad when you are forced to leave your home, but this should encourage us not to be in despair but to trust in God and His mercy,” he encouraged the asylum seekers.
“I also encourage people who have something to give, to come and support the asylum seekers.”
In the early parts of 2023, multiple suspected terrorists’ attacks on Bugri, Zoago and Zabre, all border communities in Burkina Faso compelled more than 4,000 people, at the time, to flee to Ghana and spread across several communities in Bawku Municipal, Bawku West, and Binduri Districts.
The UNHCR, UN Refugee Agency in collaboration with the Ghana Refugee Board led a comprehensive humanitarian response leading to the relocation of the asylum seekers to Tarikom where 12 hectares of land had been provided.
Through collaboration with agencies of the government and other organisations such as World Vision, Navrongo-Bolgatanga Catholic Diocesan Development Organisation among others, the UNHCR constructed reception and resettlement centres with various amenities for the asylum seekers.
Mr Djerassam Mbaiorem, the Head of UNHCR in charge of Upper East and Upper West Regions, said about 15,000 asylum seekers had been recorded in the two regions and out of the number, 8,000 were in the Upper East Region.
He said, currently only 1,100 asylum seekers were at the resettlement centre although both reception and resettlement centres had the capacity to contain about 7,000 people.
“The rest are in other areas and do not want to come. Ghana has an open policy for asylum seekers, but the Government determines where you should stay due to security reasons and where they need to stay is Tarikom, so we are working with the Ghana Refugee Board, regional authorities, and other stakeholders to encourage the rest to come,” he said.
GNA