Accra – As the number of COVID-19 cases raises in Ghana, the impact of the pandemic on those community members who were already vulnerable before the pandemic, including migrants, survivors of trafficking as well unaccompanied and separated children, is immense.

In Ghana, a country of origin and destination of victims of trafficking, many of the service providers on the frontline are in need of continuous support to ensure that the protection they offer, for example through shelters for survivors of trafficking, will continue to be delivered in a safe manner amidst the spread of the virus in the country.

This is why on 14 and 20 May 2020, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), including veronica buckets, sanitizers, nose masks, disposable gloves, gallons of disinfectants, and sets of PPEs, to the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection (Ghana) and to a partner NGOs, Don Bosco Child Protection Center, both run shelters for Victims of Trafficking (VoTs) in Accra.

“The COVID-19 crisis is having a tremendous impact on those who were already vulnerable before the outbreak, and therefore, making sure that there are no interruptions in services to them is critical. However, for this to happen, we also need to ensure that the committed frontline workers who are tirelessly helping survivors of trafficking as well unaccompanied and separated children, are protected themselves. The PPEs we donated, as well as the operational guidance provided, will go a long way in allowing institutions which provide protection services, such as shelters, to continue their work in a safe way throughout the pandemic”, said IOM Ghana Chief of Mission Sylvia Lopez-Ekra.

In Ghana, as of 28 May 2020, 7,303 COVID-19 cases have been registered, with 2,412 recoveries and 34 related deaths. The Government has introduced various measures to contain the spread of the virus, including border closures, a ban on gatherings, and mandatory wearing of masks.

The pandemic disproportionately affects vulnerable persons such as victims of trafficking or unaccompanied and separated children who are already dispossessed and might not have the means to buy protective equipment for themselves and their family members.

"These items are important to protect our shelter personnel and residents, and to contribute to preventing the further spread of the virus”, said Ms. Dziedzorm Abra Adzam, Shelter Manager and Clinical Psychologist at the Human Trafficking Adult Shelter of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection.

IOM also donated the items to its longstanding partner, the Don Bosco Child Protection Center, represented at the ceremony by Father Anthony Acquaye Dela, its Director.

Beyond support to the shelters, IOM continues to assist survivors of trafficking who returned to Ghana recently, providing them with food and hygienic supplies, and counselling them to set-up micro-enterprises as part of their reintegration. IOM is using simple and advanced financial services available in the Ghanaian market to ensure that assistance to beneficiaries is delivered timely.

“COVID-19 has already affected my secondhand clothing business badly. Because of restrictions of movement, customers can’t make it to my place, and I can’t go out and advertise my goods. Even during lockdown, IOM continued to support me to go through these challenging times, to take care of my family, and still focus on my reintegration plan including developing my business”, said one beneficiary.

The support is made possible through funding from the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, United States Department of State (J/TIP).

For more information, please contact Victoria Klimova at IOM Ghana, Email: VKLIMOVA@iom.int

For more information on IOM’s regional response to COVID-19 in West and Central Africa, please contact Florence Kim, Spokesperson, Email: fkim@iom.int.