In order to deal with the growing flood of Refugees from Burkina Faso into Ghana, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN agency for refugees, has emphasized the urgent need for a thorough welcoming strategy.
It said that as a result of alleged jihadist attacks, the security situation in Burkina Faso had gotten worse and that displaced persons had continued to apply for refuge in Ghana, particularly in some areas of the Upper East Region, creating a security concern and humanitarian disaster.
In order to assist the nation in effectively preparing and putting in place a contingency plan on the effects of events in Burkina Faso on Ghana, the UNHCR has prepared to declare a UN level one emergency.
Also, being prepared to handle an increase in the number of refugees and offer aid to the displaced people and the host communities would benefit the nation, particularly border areas.
When she led a team of UNHCR employees and representatives of the Ghana Refugee Board to certain refugee camps at Sapeliga in the Bawku West District of the Upper East Region, Ms. Esther Kiragu, the country representative for UNHCR, informed the media of these facts.
The Country Representative outlined how the refugee crisis put enormous strain on community resources including food, water, and other social services and warned that things could get worse if Burkina Faso’s circumstances did not change.
“Next week, we will be having a stakeholder forum with government operatives in Accra from the Ministry of the Interior, Ghana Refugee Board and authorities from Upper East and Upper West Regions, down to the districts to map out the kind of strategies we need to deal with the situation that is evolving in Burkina Faso,” she said.
In order to ensure the welfare of the refugees and the communities were protected, Ms. Kiragu highlighted that the strategy should be built on a community-based approach, with the host communities at the forefront of the responding actions.
“One pressing issue that will concern every parent is the young kids who are doing nothing. We will be using a community-based approach to see how they can be absolved in school,” she added.
The Ghana Refugee Board’s Executive Secretary, Mr. Tetteh Padi, expressed gratitude to the host communities and highlighted that the board would keep working with stakeholders to address the needs of the refugees, particularly by providing them with temporary necessities like food, shelter, and water.
The situation has been posing a security risk to the locals for more than two years, according to Naba Emmanuel Ayagiba Abangiba, Chief of Sapeliga. Some Burkinabes had fled their homes to settle in the communities.
He claimed that the community was under pressure to provide for some of the refugees in their homes, putting a strain on other resources like food, water, and shelter. He also made a plea for increased border security to help the refugees live better.
In an effort to get firsthand knowledge about the situation and the necessary response actions, the team visited Sapeliga, where more than 300 migrants were being sheltered.
With the first Burkinabe landing at Sapeliga roughly four years ago, more over 4,000 Burkinabes have currently fled from Bugri, Zoago, and Zabre among other places after their homes were attacked by alleged Islamists.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Agency for Refugees, has underscored the urgent need for a comprehensive reception strategy to respond to the increasing influx of Burkina Faso refugees to Ghana.
It said the security situation in Burkina Faso, caused by suspected jihadist attacks, had worsened and displaced people continued to seek asylum in Ghana, especially in some parts of the Upper East Region, which posed security threats and humanitarian crisis.
To this end, the UNHCR has planned to declare a UN level one emergency to help the country to prepare adequately and also put in place a contingency plan regarding the effects of happenings in Burkina Faso on Ghana.
It would also help the country, especially border communities, to be in the position to deal with the event of bigger numbers of refugees and provide relief to the victims and the host communities.
Ms Esther Kiragu, Country Representative, UNHCR, made these known to the media when she led a team comprising members of UNHCR, the Ghana Refugee Board to some refugee camps at Sapeliga in the Bawku West District of the Upper East Region.
The Country Representative explained that the refugee crisis put untold pressure on food, water and other social amenities in the communities and could worsen if the situation in Burkina Faso did not improve.
“Next week, we will be having a stakeholder forum with government operatives in Accra from the Ministry of the Interior, Ghana Refugee Board and authorities from Upper East and Upper West Regions, down to the districts to map out the kind of strategies we need to deal with the situation that is evolving in Burkina Faso,” she said.
Ms Kiragu noted that the approach should involve a community based-approach with the host communities at the forefront of the responsive measures to ensure the welfare of the refugees and the communities were protected.
“One pressing issue that will concern every parent is the young kids who are doing nothing. We will be using a community-based approach to see how they can be absolved in school,” she added.
Mr Tetteh Padi, Executive Secretary, of the Ghana Refugee Board, expressed gratitude to host communities and noted that the board would continue to work with stakeholders to respond to the needs of the refugees, especially providing them with interim needs, including water, shelter and food.
Naba Emmanuel Ayagiba Abangiba, Chief of Sapeliga, said for more than two years some Burkinabes had fled their homes to settle in the communities and the situation continued to pose a security risk to the residents.
He said there was pressure on shelter, water and food among others as members of the community had to host and care for some of the refugees in their homes and appealed for security to be strengthened along the border to provide support to the refugees to live better.
The team’s visit to Sapeliga, where over 300 refugees were being hosted, was part of efforts to have first-hand information on the situation and the needed response measures.
Currently, more than 4,000 Burkinabes have fled from Bugri, Zoago and Zabre, among others, after their homes were attacked by suspected jihadists with the first Burkinabe arriving to settle at Sapeliga about four years ago.
Many of the refugees came to Ghana within the last two years and more in the last month when the situation worsened and the majority of whom are women and children spread across communities, including Widnaba, Soogo, Sapeliga, Kansoogo, Googo and Bansi in the Bawku Municipal, Bawku West and Binduri Districts.