World Vision Ghana, a Christian humanitarian organisation is providing Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) infrastructure and services to the asylum seekers at Tarikom in the Bawku West District of the Upper East Region. In collaboration with the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and other partners, World Vision Ghana has far provided WASH facilities at both Reception and Settlement centres hosting the asylum seekers displaced by suspected terrorists' attacks in Burkina Faso early this year. At the Reception centre, it has so far constructed 39 washrooms with their accompanied water-closet toilet facilities, bathrooms and a 10,000 litre solar-powered mechanised water system. At the Settlement Centre which was still undergoing development, a 10,000 litre water system, and 29 washrooms had been completed and would be occupied by the asylum seekers while construction of others was still ongoing. These were revealed when Ms Laura Cristina Delvalle, the National Director of World Vision Ghana led a delegation to pay a visit to the asylum seekers at Tarikom to ascertain the progress of World Vision Ghana's work to support the asylum seekers. In early parts of 2023, multiple suspected terrorist attacks on Bugri, Zoago and Zabre other border communities in Burkina Faso compelled more than 4,000 at the time to flee to Ghana and spread across several communities in Bawku Municipal, Bawku West and Binduri Districts. The UNHCR and UN Refugee Agency led a comprehensive humanitarian response leading to the relocation of the asylum seekers to Tarikom where 12 hectares of land had been provided with eight hectares already developed to provide them shelter and other basic facilities. Mr Joshua Baidoo, Strategy and Integrated Programme Director, World Vision Ghana, who spoke to the media during the tour indicated that currently over 900 asylum seekers had been registered but about 500 were at the camp. He said World Vision Ghana had been working with the UNHCR to deal with the provision of the WASH aspect of the comprehensive humanitarian response currently being rolled out and expressed satisfaction with the work done so far. 'WASH is one of our priority areas because we supply water to remote and hard-to-reach areas and we are partnering with UNHCR and other agencies to provide WASH facilities to support the asylum seekers fit within our strategy. 'We are particular about the children and we are happy to be able to provide these facilities so that children and mothers will be able to have good drinking water and other purposes,' he said. He acknowledged the collaboration among various stakeholders including the government, UNHCR, and World Vision Ghana among others and urged strengthened collaboration to enhance security in the area. The delegation also donated boots, books, and playing materials like toys and footballs to the Tarikom Primary School to assist in the teaching and learning of the students. Ms Cynthia Fosuah WASH Specialist and in charge of World Vision Ghana's Response Team in Tarikom, said World Vision Ghana had provided an eight-seater toilet facility to the school and believed that it would help improve the sanitation situation in the school. Ms Ruphina Zenabu Alambila, Headmistress of Tarikom Primary School, expressed gratitude to World Vision Ghana for the support and indicated that it would go a long way to support the many students who walked to school barefoot. He said out of the total enrollment of 436 students in the school, 129 children were asylum seekers and noted that the school did not have a source of water, compelling the students to walk long distances in search of water and appeal for help.

Source: Ghana News Agency