Ghanaian Foreign Ministry reports GH¢49.72m cost for South Africa evacuation

The Ghanaian Foreign Affairs Ministry has submitted a 200-page report to Parliament detailing the evacuation of 1,964 Ghanaian nationals from South Africa. The operation, conducted between May 27 and September 4, 2026, following a resurgence of xenophobic attacks, cost a total of GH¢49.72 million.

Of the total expenditure, the Government of Ghana provided GH¢33.72 million, while the company Engineers and Planners contributed GH¢16 million through air tickets and reintegration assistance. A significant portion of the budget, GH¢27.18 million, was dedicated to chartered flights, with an additional GH¢9.42 million spent on commercial airline tickets and layover expenses.

Other costs included ground transportation (GH¢997,644), food (GH¢634,349), and various logistics such as communication, printing, and medical services. The Ministry confirmed that all expenditures have been settled. Additionally, the Auditor-General has been invited to conduct a comprehensive special audit of all evacuation exercises conducted from 2017 to the present, including those related to COVID-19, Ukraine, and Sudan.