Mustapha Abdul-Hamid
Minister of Information, Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, has expressed government’s commitment to prioritize the rights of refugees in Ghana.
Speaking at the commemoration of the World Refugee Day in Accra, Mr. Abdul-Hamid said the doors of government were always opened to support the activities of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Ghana Refugee Board.
Touching on the theme, “Now More Than Ever, We Need to Stand with Refugees”, the sector minister said it was important for Ghanaians to welcome refugees since one may become a refugee not by choice.
“To be a refugee is not one of the choices that you make in life. It is not like deciding you eat rice or yam or to wear a yellow shirt or white shirt,” he said.
He thus urged Ghanaians to support refugees as government assists UN agencies in their quest to provide aid to refugees living in Ghana.
The Resident Co-ordinator of the United Nations, Ms. Christine Evans-Klock, also expressed her gratitude to the government of Ghana for their maximum support throughout their activities in the country.
She further gave accounts of Ghana’s ability for the past years to host about 13,000 refugees in the four refugee camps in the country out of the 68.5 million refugees across the world.
The Chairman of the Ghana Refugee Board, Kenneth Attafuah, entreated all persons to support refugees with their livelihood activities.
He stated that the notion that refugees were thieves and troublesome must be corrected as they can also contribute to national development.
The World Refugee Day is an annual event observed by the UNHCR on 20th June to honour the strength and courage of refugees and encourage public awareness and support of the refugees – people who have had to flee their home lands because of conflict or natural disaster.
By Ebenezer Gyamerah