The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, says it cost the government GH¢49.7 million to evacuate a total of 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa following recent xenophobic attacks.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Monday, he said the cost of the evacuation exercise covered chartered flights, ground transportation, feeding, accommodation, medical care, reintegration support, and the repatriation of the remains of two Ghanaians who died during the tensions.
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He further disclosed that the government did not have a budgetary allocation for the evacuation, but it was compelled to act as the situation deteriorated.
“The evacuation could not have been anticipated, hence, it was not budgeted for. However, the Government had to act swiftly to protect the lives of its citizens. The lives protected and the dignity of Ghanaians far outweigh the cost,” Ablakwa said, despite rejecting a donation of GH¢20 million from MTN Ghana last month to support reintegration efforts.
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As xenophobic tensions heightened in South Africa in April, Ghana’s government began evacuating citizens from May 27, 2026. The evacuation exercise ended on September 4.