Stakeholders gathered to strategize and coordinate efforts to improve emergency and social protection services for asylum seekers hosted at Tarikom in the Bawku West District of the Upper East Region.
The meeting aimed to keep stakeholders informed, enhance service delivery, prevent duplication of interventions, and ensure effective targeting.
Organized by the Upper East Regional Department of Children with funding support from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the discussion brought together diverse humanitarian and social protection organizations.
Notable participants included the Departments of Children, Gender, and Social Welfare, UNHCR, Ghana Refugee Board, World Vision, Navrongo-Bolgatanga Catholic Diocesan Development Organization, National Commission for Civic Education, Regional Coordinating Council, Ghana Education Service, Ghana Health Service, and security agencies.
In early 2023, multiple suspected terrorist attacks in Burkina Faso forced over 4,000 people to flee to Ghana, seeking refuge in communities across Bawku Municipal, Bawku West, Binduri, Garu, and Tempane Districts. Led by UNHCR and the Ghana Refugee Board, a comprehensive humanitarian response, in collaboration with various partners, led to the relocation of some asylum seekers to Tarikom.
According to the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council, approximately 7,000 asylum seekers have been registered in various parts of the region, with over 900 relocated to reception and resettlement centers at Tarikom.
Mrs. Georgina Aberese-Ako, the Upper East Acting Regional Director of the Department of Children, highlighted the proactive efforts of various organizations in providing essential services to the asylum seekers. The meeting aimed to share experiences and discuss ways to enhance services for asylum seekers.
“We bring these stakeholders together for us to know the current situation with regards to the asylum seekers, the services they are rendering, the number they have reached out to and the impact, and to know the way forward, what we can do as a group to improve upon the services that they are rendering,” Mrs. Aberese-Ako explained.
She emphasized the importance of coordination among stakeholders to ensure that host communities also benefit from the services without creating conflicts.
The coordination aims to prevent duplication of services, enhance effectiveness, and efficiency, and create a more significant impact on the well-being of asylum seekers at Tarikom.
