Accra:The evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa incurred a total cost of GHS49.72 million, which covered various expenses including flights, accommodation, medical care, reintegration allowances, and the repatriation of two bodies.
According to Ghana Web, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa provided a detailed breakdown of the costs associated with the evacuation exercise. A significant portion, GHS38,835,512, was allocated to chartered flights, tickets, ground transportation, feeding, hotel accommodation in South Africa, and medical services.
An additional GHS10,802,000 was spent on reintegration and transportation allowances for the returned citizens. The cost for repatriating two mortal remains and conducting autopsies amounted to GHS84,274.
The funding for the evacuation came from two main sources the Government of Ghana contributed GHS33,721,786, while Engineers and Planners (EnP) provided GHS16 million. The largest share of the expenditure went towards flights, accommodation, transportation, feeding, and medical services, followed by reintegration and transportation allowances, with the repatriation of the bodies and autopsies making up the rest.