By Benjamin A. Commey, GNA
Accra, Sept 28, GNA – The United Nations in Ghana has initiated a programme aimed at improving food security among the most vulnerable host communities and asylum seekers in the Upper East and Upper West regions.
Launched under the theme “Enhancing Food Security, Nutrition, and Resilience of the Most Food Insecure and Vulnerable Host Communities and Asylum Seekers in Upper East and Upper West Regions of Ghana,” the initiative is anticipated to benefit approximately 10,200 asylum seekers and members of host communities.
Additionally, around 20,000 people are expected to benefit indirectly through initiatives like malnutrition prevention and treatment, strengthening health systems, and training in sustainable agriculture and eco-friendly business ventures.
The Food Assistance Programme aims to enhance food security and nutrition for pregnant and breastfeeding women, adolescent girls, and children under 24 months among asylum seekers, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and host communities.
Funded by the Government of France, the programme is part of the Gulf of Guinea Joint Response Plan for Ghana, which seeks to address the humanitarian effects of regional instability and promote peaceful coexistence and sustainable development.
The programme aligns with Ghana’s National Medium Term Development Plans, the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for 2023-2025, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Global Compact on Refugees.
The initiative would be carried out in partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), alongside the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Ghana Refugee Board (GRB).
Key partners involved include the Departments of Agriculture, the Ghana Health Service (GHS), and various NGOs.
At the programme launch in Bolgatanga, Upper East Region, Mr. Charles Abani, the UN Resident Coordinator in Ghana, stressed that it was important to support host communities in northern Ghana to ensure security, safety, and peaceful coexistence, particularly in addressing food security challenges.
“We used available food security and nutrition data collected through various surveys and further conducted an initial rapid assessment of the situation of the asylum seekers and host communities in 83 communities across six border districts to assess the needs of these beneficiaries and to determine an integrated response.
“When communities have improved access to diverse and affordable foods, higher incomes, and increased access to social protection, nutrition, and health services, they live amicably and are better equipped to ensure their safety,” he said.
Although the Upper East, Upper West, North East, and Savannah Regions account for just 18.2 percent of Ghana’s population, they are home to nearly half (42.3 percent) of the nation’s estimated food-insecure individuals.
Challenges in accessing safe and nutritious food are worsening food insecurity and intensifying the struggles of vulnerable households with few livelihood options in these areas.
Ongoing conflict and insecurity in the Sahel, particularly in Burkina Faso, have resulted in heightened displacement into northern Ghana, placing additional pressure on essential social and economic services in host communities that are already facing resource limitations and fragile food systems.
Ms. Christine Battesti, Political Counsellor at the French Embassy in Ghana, stated that one of the priorities of France’s food security policy and Food Assistance Programme is to create and enhance a sustainable future for all by supporting initiatives that improve food security, nutrition, and community resilience.
GNA