The European Union, UNICEF, and UNHCR have launched a €2.7 million project to support forcibly displaced people and their host communities in northern Ghana.
The two-year initiative, known as the UNITE Project, is being rolled out in the Tarikom and Zini communities in the Upper East and Upper West Regions. It aims to enhance resilience, improve access to essential services, and foster long-term development for vulnerable groups.
Led by UNICEF Ghana and UNHCR, the project will focus on the needs of women and children. It will also work with national and local partners to strengthen education, health, child protection, and identification systems.
The initiative is part of a broader response to displacement linked to instability in the Gulf of Guinea. Over 17,000 asylum seekers are currently estimated to be living in northern Ghana.
“Through the UNITE project and other efforts, the EU is supporting displaced people and the communities that have opened their doors to them,” said EU Ambassador to Ghana, Irchad Razaaly. He stressed the EU’s commitment to upholding refugee rights under international law.
UNICEF Ghana’s Representative, Osama Makkawi Khoghali, said the project is about “restoring dignity, strengthening community resilience, and building a future where every child and family has access to the services they deserve.”
UNHCR’s Head of Office in Ghana, Needa Jehu-Mazou, added that the programme will help displaced persons and host communities “not only survive but thrive.” She praised the EU’s backing and said the project will promote peaceful coexistence and sustainable solutions.
National partners include the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, the Ghana Health Service, the Ghana Education Service, and the National Identification Authority.
The UNITE project also complements existing efforts, such as the Gulf of Guinea Social Cohesion Programme (SOCO).
It is part of a larger €12 million regional package supported by the EU and four UN agencies—UNICEF, UNHCR, WFP, and IOM—being implemented across Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, and Benin.
