Ghana Refugee Board in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR has commemorated the 2023 World Refugees Day in Accra on Tuesday, June 20, 2023 to celebrate the resilience of refugees.
World Refugee Day is an international day organized annually on June 20 by the United Nations and is observed all over the world to remind the world of the plight of refugees and the need to help them.
This year’s ceremony was held at the Blue Oasis Refugee Community Center under the theme “Hope Away From Home” to honour refugees from around the world.
Delivering a keynote address at the event, Board Chairman of the Ghana Refugee Board, Prof. Kenneth Agyemang Attafuah assured that Ghana will continue to provide “hope away from home” for persons who flee from their home countries seeking shelter.
He said, in fulfilling the country’s obligations as prescribed in the UN and Africa Union Refugee Conventions and in the true spirit of brotherliness and Pan-Africanism that Ghana is known for, the doors of the country are open to its brothers and sisters from across the border.
Prof. Kenneth Agyemang Attafuah further indicated that the government through the Ghana Refugee Board will continue to support UNHCR in the provision of assistance to refugees and asylum seekers.
“Refugees in Ghana will continue to be encouraged to be self-reliant and contribute towards national development.
“At this point let me reassure our refugee brothers and sisters that Ghana shall continue to guarantee that they live here in safety and in dignity. I will end by wishing us all a successful commemoration of World Refugee Day,” the Board Chairman of the Ghana Refugee Board said.
UNHCR’s flagship annual report, Global Trends in Forced Displacement 2022, found that the number of people displaced by war, persecution, violence and human rights abuses by the end of 2022 stood at a record 108.4 million higher than the previous year which had 19.1 million.
The upward trajectory in global forced displacement of persons showed no sign of slowing down in 2023 as the eruption of conflict in Sudan triggered new outflows, pushing the global total to an estimated 110 million in May.
Speaking at the 2023 World Refugee Day event, UNHCR Representative in Ghana, Ms. Esther Kiragu bemoaned the fact that the rate of displacement is getting faster and bigger than the rate of finding solutions.
She indicated that behind these statistics are real people whose lives and livelihoods have been shattered and devastated by war and persecution causing untold anguish.
“As we commemorate this world refugee day, we celebrate their resilience given their determination to pick up the pieces against all odds and continue living. We must stand by them,” Ms. Esther Kiragu stressed.
While praising Ghana for setting the pace with its rich Pan-Africanist tradition of hosting refugees that allows space to participate in rebuilding their own lives, the UNHCR Representative also acknowledged that the country cannot do it alone.
She used the opportunity to call on development partners to come on board to support Ghana.
“Support is required for the host to enhance the absorption capacity and we use this occasion to call on development partners to prioritize, and advocate for the prioritization of refugee hosting Districts in both the Upper East and Upper West. This is very important in order to obviate friction over resources and to maintaining peaceful co-existence between the refugees and their host.
“With the theme of this year, “Hope away from Home”- nothing gives a refugee parent more morale to weather the storms of life than having their children enrolled in schools! It gives hope. Health is another area that needs support to ensure that they can exercise their right to health in general,” Ms. Esther Kiragu added.
She urged refugees in Ghana and in the world to have hope that achieving their dreams and aspirations is possible despite the situation they find themselves in.
In her concluding remarks, Ms. Esther Kiragu applauded the Government of Ghana, the Ghana Refugee Board, the US and Canada as well as all partners and stakeholders who play a role in giving hope to refugees.
The day was well celebrated with cultural dances and drama from some of the Refugees to mark the special day.
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