Accra, Ghana, 20 June –The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), the state-mandated agency responsible for the management of crises, is collaborating with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Ghana on the creation of a cross-border humanitarian crises response plan. This plan provides an inter-agency approach that guides border officials and local government actors to respond to crises in a timely, consistent, and coordinated manner to meet the immediate needs of displaced persons.

Kofi Osei, Head of the Migration and Reintegration Directorate at NADMO, underscored the need for partnership and commitment by stakeholders for a proactive and effective humanitarian response. "At NADMO, we recognize the importance of collaboration in addressing complex humanitarian challenges. Through this partnership, we are strengthening our capacity to respond to emergencies and support vulnerable populations. With the surge of forced displacements across West Africa and the Sahel, particularly from countries like Burkina Faso, Mali, and Nigeria, there is an urgent need for a comprehensive emergency preparedness and response plan.”

According to IOM (February 2024) Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) data, in December 2023, 7.9 million persons were internally displaced due to conflicts and violences in West and Central Africa, out of which 2.1 million persons were displaced in Burkina Faso, and 3.4 million in Nigeria. Such displacement across the region made the development of a cross-border contingency plan for Ghana more urgent to guide border officials and local government actors in the management of large population movements that are particularly impacting the Northern areas of the country.

Key stakeholders from various government and development agencies, including Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana Police Service, World Health Organisation, United Nations High Commission for Refugees, Ghana Refugee Board, Care International and Catholic Relief Services, have been actively involved in the development of the contingency plan through various stakeholder consultation meetings. Their input and expertise have been crucial in refining NADMO’s draft plan and ensuring its effectiveness in addressing the needs of displaced populations and host communities.

The process involved a series of consultation workshops including a training-of-trainers workshop, key informant interviews, and a tabletop simulation exercise to assess the plan by developing crisis scenarios, identifying gaps, challenges, and solutions. This allowed participants to evaluate the contingency plan's effectiveness and highlight areas for improvement. Finally, a validation meeting to review the final plan ensured it meets the requirements, standards, and expectations of all stakeholders.

“Strengthening rights-based approaches to border management is key to responding to cross-border displacement. We hope that this contingency plan provides practical and sustainable solutions to improve the national response to affected populations crossing borders during a humanitarian crisis, while ensuring the security of the border is maintained," said Nnamdi Iwuora, Senior Programme Manager at IOM Ghana.

The process is realised with funding from the United States Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).

For more information, please contact David Kwame Darko, IOM Ghana at ddarko@iom.int