More than 800 refugees at the Krisan Refugee Camp in Eikwe in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region, have received relief items worth GH¢ 21, 000.00.
The items comprised bags of rice, gallons of cooking oil, disinfectants, pieces of canned fish, toilet rolls and soft drinks were donated by Passion for Needy, a non-governmental organisation (NGO).
The NGO was established in August 2009 by Nigerian Pastor, Prophet Temitope Balogun Joshua popularly known as Prophet T.B Joshua, the Leader and Founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, to provide assistance to orphans, HIV victims, brilliant but needy students, widows and widowers, the aged and physically-challenged persons,
The refugee camp which was established in 1996 had refugees from 15 different countries including Sudan, Liberia, Togo, DR Congo, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Pakistan, Ethiopia and Eritrea.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Mrs Janet Torgbor El-Aschkar, the Co-Chairperson of the NGO, said the support was made ahead of the celebration of the International Refugees Day, which falls on the June 20, every year, and also to mark the birthday of the renowned Evangelist on June 12.
She said the donation falls in line with the vision of the founder of the NGO who wants to support the needy from all over the world irrespective of their religion, ethnicity, culture or ethnic background.
She indicated that the NGO, in the past, had offered scholarships to orphans and brilliant but needy students, to further their education to the tertiary level.
“We have also provided food and relief items to all Special Schools in Ghana in 2014 and the 37 Military Hospital in Accra in 2015, to take care of the June 3 fire and flood disaster victims who were on admission at the hospital,” she stated.
The Camp Manager, Mr Martin Bannerman, expressed appreciation to the NGO for the gesture and asked other corporate entities and philanthropists to provide similar support.
He said the United Nations High Commission for Refugees stopped food rationing to the refugees in September 2009 due to dwindling financial support from donor agencies.
In view of this, he said, the refugees had received skill training in batik, tie and dye, dress-making and other employable skills while some had formed gangs who dug boreholes for interested individuals and use the proceeds to cater for themselves.
On challenges, he said, the refugees need a market centre to sell their products while the only clinic at the Camp lacks medicines and basic equipment.
