Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa says government will in the coming days announce the setting up of a special diaspora fund to help cater for emergency situations involving distressed Ghanaian citizens around the world.
This according to the Minister will support efforts like the evacuation of citizens and the provision of necessary consular services in urgent times.
This was disclosed by the Minister who said a total amount of GHC 49.72 million was expended in the evacuation of 1,964 Ghanaian citizens from South Africa due to recent xenophobic attacks.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will soon launch a Ghanaian Diaspora Consular Fund which will serve as an emergency response funding mechanism to swiftly take care of Ghanaians in distress and during crisis situations anywhere in the world…
“The total cost of evacuating Ghanaians from South Africa amounted to GHS 49,721,786.00
The breakdown is as follows:
* Chartered Flights, tickets, ground transportation, feeding, hotel accommodation in South Africa, medical and hospitalisation = GHS 38,835,512.00
* Reintegration and Transportation allowance = GHS 10,802,000.00
* Repatriation of 2 mortal remains = GHS 84,274.00
* Total – GHS 49,721,786.00 24.
“Out of the total amount of GHS 49,721,786.00 the Government of Ghana spent GHS 33,721,786.00, while Mr. Ibrahim Mahama’s Engineers and 6 Planners donated GHS 16,000,000.00. The Government of Ghana commends him for his extraordinary commitment to the welfare of Ghanaians” the minister noted.
He expressed appreciation to other state institutions that helped in various ways to make the evacuation from South Africa a success and reiterated the point that. The minister said “beyond the recent evacuations from South Africa, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, its diplomatic missions and our international partners have actively intervened across multiple countries to repatriate Ghanaians in distress.
“Since 2025 to date a total of 4,972 Ghanaians have been successfully repatriated to Ghana. This figure is an accumulation of the following: 3,807 from Libya, 440 from Côte d’Ivoire (victims of QNET and demolition exercise), 246 from Nigeria (QNET victims), 244 from Cambodia, 201 from Algeria, 18 from Kuwait, 8 from Sierra Leone, 5 from Mauritius, 2 from Morocco and 1 from Iraq.
“These recurring operations underscore the immense financial and logistical burden of responding to unexpected distress situations across the globe. This is precisely why it has become imperative to establish the Ghanaian Diaspora Consular Fund. It will afford us a dedicated and sustainable emergency funding mechanism to ensure that Ghana can promptly mobilise resources to safeguard the rights, dignity and welfare of our citizens.”
By Martin Asiedu-Dartey
