The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey has informed Parliament that over 10,000 Ghanaians were evacuated from countries across the world during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

According to her, this was part of efforts by the government to come to the aid of many nationals who were stranded abroad due to the pandemic.

Answering questions on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, July 22, 2021, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey said $1.5 million was expended on the cost of airfare for evacuees from the UAE, China, Lebanon West, and Central Africa while GHS44 million was spent on quarantine for the evacuees.

“The government successfully evacuated a total of 10,025 Ghanaians during the evacuation exercise which began on 23rd May 2020. The exercise ended on the 18th September 2020,” the Minister said.

The countries from which Ghanaians were evacuated included United States, China, Kuwait, Germany, Ukraine, Canada, among others.

Several Ghanaians from different parts of the world had called on the government to evacuate them when the Coronavirus pandemic was at its peak.

Their calls compelled the government to facilitate their evacuation.

The government covered the cost of travel and quarantine for Ghanaians arriving from China, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, UAE and all evacuations undertaken within West Africa.