The Central Regional Coordinating Council on Friday morning, received 137 Ghanaians repatriated from Côte d’Ivoire following a forced ejection by Ivorian security agencies on Tuesday for allegedly occupying state lands.
The returnees, largely fisherfolks, arrived at 0300 hours under arrangements facilitated by the Government of Ghana.
They were screened by state institutions including Ghana Immigration Service, Police Service, National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Social Welfare, and the Ghana Health Service.
More than 5,000 people are believed to have been affected in major communities like Zimbabwe, Viridi-Acoe, Viridi-Cannal, Porte-bour, Conzak, Annani, Assibisa, Anyone, Abidjan-Kumasi, Abidjan-Tresvii and Abidjan-Mangoase.
The contingent comprised 17 men, 31 boys, 55 women and 35 girls.
No disabled persons were among them, but three returnees are pregnant including a 15-year-old from Mankessim in Mfantseman Municipality, a 27-year-old from Abura in Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese (AAK) District and an 18-year-old from Komenda in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) Municipality.
The first batch of returnees were profiled to have originated from four districts with KEEA accounting for the largest share with 74 people including seven men, 16 boys, 35 women and 16 girls.
Cape Coast had 19 returnees, four men, six women, four boys and five girls.
AAK District have 19 people made up of two men, six boys, seven women and four girls.
The Mfantseman Municipality recorded 22 returnees made up of two men, five boys, six women and nine girls, while Ekumfi District have a man, a woman and one child.
Addressing the returnees, the Regional Minister, Mr Eduamoah Ekow Panyin Okyere, expressed deep concern about the forced expulsions and reaffirmed government’s commitment to provide immediate humanitarian assistance.
That assistance he noted ted would include free medical screenings, temporary shelter and psychosocial support for vulnerable returnees, particularly pregnant teenagers, and children.
“While we mount a coordinated response to assist our people to return home safely, we will also engage relevant national agencies and the Ivorian authorities to clarify the circumstances that led to this action and to prevent recurrence,” the Minister said.
He urged returnees to find comfort and dignity in being back home, encouraging them to rebuild their lives with hope, look after one another, keep a positive outlook and make use of available services.
The Minister also emphasised the importance of maintaining good sanitation and hygiene in their homes and communities to protect public health, pointing out that clean surroundings reduced risks of diseases and helped families recover faster from the trauma of displacement.
Mr Kwesi Dawood, Regional Director of NADMO, promised to collaborate closely with regional and local partners to ensure that post-traumatic stress among returnees were identified and treated.
He said NADMO teams would coordinate psychosocial outreach, link affected individuals to mental-health professionals and social services and run community-based activities to restore normalcy.
Mr Dawood assured of NADMO’s mandate to prepare for, respond to and help communities recover from disasters and gave a strong assurance that the agency would deploy trained staff, mobilise resources and monitor progress until returnees stabilised.
Mr Stephen Otoo, a returnee, who led the delegation, expressed gratitude to the Government of Ghana for facilitating the safe return and immediate care of the 137 repatriated citizens.
” We are particularly thankful for the medical screenings, temporary shelter, and psychosocial support provided, which will help these families particularly the pregnant teenagers and children rebuild their lives with dignity,” he added.