Accra: The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), in collaboration with the European Union (EU) and UNICEF, has introduced a project designed to improve the living conditions of forcibly displaced persons in Northern Ghana and enhance their resilience. The EU has co-funded this £2.7 million initiative, named ‘Supporting the Resilience of Forcibly Displaced People and Host Communities in Northern Ghana (UNITE)’, which will be implemented by UNICEF Ghana and UNHCR over a two-year period.
According to Ghana News Agency, the project is being carried out in Zini, located in the Sissala West District of the Upper West Region, and in Tarikom in the Upper East Region. It aims to improve inclusion and access to essential services for refugees and host communities, with a particular focus on women and children. At the project launch in Zini, Mr. Irchad Razaaly, the EU Ambassador to Ghana, noted that this regional initiative is also being implemented in northern Benin, C´te d’Ivoire, and Togo, funded by the EU with a total of £12 million. Mr. Razaaly emphasized that the refugee settlements have posed significant challenges to host communities, such as increased pressure on limited resources, services, and infrastructure, which the project seeks to address.
Mr. Osama Makkawi Khoghali, the UNICEF Ghana Representative, highlighted that Ghana, especially the Upper West and Upper East regions, has received around 17,000 displaced individuals from Burkina Faso, many of whom are women and children. He stated that it is a shared responsibility to support these individuals in rebuilding their lives with dignity and compassion. As part of the project, UNICEF will focus on strengthening essential services in health, education, water, and sanitation to ensure that both displaced persons and their host communities can thrive.
Mr. Samuel Dzikunu, Head of Field Office of UNHCR Ghana, expressed satisfaction that the intervention would provide improved shelter for the refugees, who currently reside in inadequate tent-shelter conditions. The project will also offer complementary basic education services for refugee children, facilitating their transition into the Ghana education service system.
Mr. Charles Lwanga Puozuing, the Upper West Regional Minister, expressed gratitude to the EU and its partners for their commitment to transforming lives and empowering vulnerable populations. He urged both refugees and host communities to view their safety as a shared responsibility and to report suspicious activities to security agencies.
Kuoro Abu Diaka Sukabe Ninia V, the Paramount Chief of the Zini Traditional Area, acknowledged the community’s efforts in creating a supportive environment for the refugees, including the allocation of 200 acres of fertile land for farming activities. The Chief also raised concerns about the fragile security situation in the area, which requires immediate attention to ensure the safety of both the settlers and the host community.
The project plans to construct 1,000 decent-shelter units for refugee families in Zini and Tarikom, improve access to electricity in Zini, and renovate the Zini basic school, among other initiatives.