As the world marks World Refugee Day, World Vision Ghana (WVG), a Christian humanitarian organisation, is advocating greater empathy for all refugee children, urging society to recognise their rights to learn, play, and thrive in safety.

It also appealed for solidarity with refugees by promoting their welfare and creating resilient environments through access to healthcare, protection, and economic opportunities that enable them to rebuild their lives with dignity.

Mr Samuel Gmalu, the Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs and Response Manager WVG, made the appeal at Zini community in the Sissala West District at the weekend during the commemoration of this year’s World Refugee Day (WRD) on the theme: “Solidarity with Refugees.”

As part of the commemoration, WVG, with support from Unilever Ghana, facilitated hygiene education and distributed toothbrushes and toothpaste to the children in the Zini Refugee Camp to promote oral hygiene.

The Non-governmental Organisation had planned a series of activities, including a tree planting exercise at the camp to mark the WRD.

“This year’s theme is a call to action, a call to stand with refugees, a call to unite and accept refugees in our communities and above all, show empathy and receive them with open hearts and arms,” Mr Gmalu indicated.

He said there were 42.7 million refugees globally under the UN Refugee Agency’s (UNHCR) mandate by the end of 2024, 6.9 million asylum seekers and 68.3 million internally displaced people.

Mr Gmalu stated that information from the UNHCR indicated that as of December 2024, Ghana hosted about 17,300 refugees and asylum-seekers, from Burkina Faso, Togo, Liberia, and Sudan.

Mr Rexford Yamdorg Bugre, the Northern Sector Operations Manager of WVG, noted that as a child-focused organisation, WVG prioritised the health of every child, and the donation of toothbrushes was part of broader efforts to improve personal hygiene among refugee children.

Mr Joseph Aniah, the Upper West Regional Coordinator, Ghana Refugee Board, indicated that protection of refugees should transcend mere safety to a life of dignity, purpose and opportunities.

He said economic empowerment for refugees through vocational training, financial inclusion, and skills development would enable them to contribute to the development of their host communities.

Mr Aniah commended WVG and partners for their interventions at the Zini Refugee camp, including supporting youth training programmes, farming initiatives, and water access, among others.

While thanking the Zini community for showing generosity to the refugees, he appealed to them to foster community integration, ensuring access to services such as education and their participation in social activities such as festivals.

In a speech read on his behalf, Kuoro Abu Diyaka Sukabe Ninia, the Paramount Chief of the Zini Traditional Area, said the refugee camp at Zini reflected the community’s commitment to supporting “people fleeing persecution” to redefine their lives with dignity.

Hygiene had been identified as a major challenge for the over 800 refugees at the Zini Refugee camp, hence the intervention by WVG.

World Vision Ghana had provided Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities at the camp, which were expected to significantly improve living conditions at the camp.