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The Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong has donated to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration to support Government’s efforts to evacuate stranded Ghanaians in Lebanon.
It will be recalled that when the first case of COVID-19 was recorded in November 2019 at the Wuhan City of China, it got many states locked-down with impossed travel bans and other restrictions, including border closures as a desperate measure to prevent the spread of the virus.
These measures unfortunately brought to fore the unacceptable dire conditions of some Ghanaians abroad, especially those in the Middle East.
But per data with regards to the number of stranded Ghanaians abroad gathered by the Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Ministry and its subordinate bodies abroad, the government took the decision to begin the process of evacuating its compatriots home.
During the donation ceremony on Wednesday, August 5, 2020, the Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, was grateful to Kennedy Agyapong and other stakeholders for the acts of generosity, patriotism and solidarity during such difficult times when the world is grappling with how to contain the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on lives and economies.
“The Ministry is happy to receive on behalf of the Government, a generous donation of US$428, 650 from Hon. Kennedy to support the fourth and fifth Ghanaians from Lebanon scheduled for 11th and 13th August, 2020”, she said.
The minister stated that the Ministry in collaboration with other stakeholders has since May 2020, completed 51 evacuations from across the globe, resulting in the safe return of 5,940 Ghanaians.
She stressed that in the particular case of Lebanon, the Ministry together with its Mission in Cairo and the Honorary Consulate in Beirut, Lebanon, facilitated the first evacuation of 211 stranded Ghanaians on 19th June, 2020 which was followed by 144 Ghanaians on 28th July and another 205 Ghanaians on 30th July, 2020 from Lebanon.
“We can therefore say that, so far, 560 Ghanaians have been evacuated from Lebanon, and over 1000 more are expected this month”, she added.
The Minister however noted that the generosity of Kennedy Agyapong is public knowledge and the donation made is only a testimony of his kind heart.
