About 34 refugees at the Fetentaa Refugee Camp have been admitted at the Berekum Holy Family Hospital in the Brong Ahafo Region, after eating jollof rice served at a wedding party.

The meal, which was served at the wedding party of two Ivorian refugees on Saturday, is suspected to have been poisoned, according to Agyaba K. Fosu of Berekum-based Agoro FM, a partner station of Adom FM.

According to him, although meals such as Plain rice and Acheke were served at the event, only those who consumed the Jollof rice immediately complained of tummy upsets and were taken to the hospital.

The Deputy Camp Manager for the Fetentaa Refugee Camp, Mr. Owusu Akyeaw confirmed the incident on Adom FM’s Midday News.

Mr. Owusu Akyeaw however, said management of the camp are waiting for the medical reports of the victims in order to initiate investigations into the matter.

Meanwhile, Human Resource Officer of the Berekum Holy Family Hospital, Peter Quaicoo says all the patients are responding to treatment.

Fetentaa Camp

The Fetentaa Camp was established in June 2011. It is one of three camps hosting Ivorian refugees in Ghana. Asylum seekers from Osei Kodjokrom and Kasap transit center were relocated to Fetentaa when the camp was opened. The movement of people from the two locations took effect on 19 June 2011.

At the end of the presidential elections in Cote D’ivoire which resulted in a stalemate leading to battles in Abidjan and other urban areas of the country, there was an influx of refugees into Brong Ahafo Region, Mid-West Ghana. The refugees were initially hosted by UNHCR in a transit camp at Kasap in the Brong Ahafo Region.

As with all camps in Ghana, the Fetentaa Camp is managed by the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) staff seconded to the Ghana Refugee Board. UNHCR Implementing Partners such as the Christian Council of Ghana (CCG), the Assemblies of God Relief and Development Services, (AGREDS) as well as the National Catholic Secretariat (NCS) all have their presence on the camp.

The Camp is 1 kilometer away from the Fetentaa Township. Administratively, Fetentaa falls under the Berekum Municipality and it is found between the Berekum and Drobo townships.