Admin“Please, come for us!” Ghanaian students stuck in Ukraine cry.
Ghanaian students in Ukraine have called for Government evacuation in immediate safety as Russia-Ukraine tension soars following the full-scale invasion.
Russia-Ukraine tension has soared after Russia launched its first full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Thursday. Russian President Vladimir Putin had never said his country has no plans to invade neighboring country Ukraine, but Thursday’s development may sound otherwise.
Parts of Ukraine, Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Odesa have been attacked by a reported Putin ‘specialized military operation‘ after explosions were heard in those cities on Thursday.
The aftermath of the attack, which the United States sees as a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, has increased fears across Ukraine.
Countries have already made plans to evacuate their citizens, with the UK allowing embassy staff and diplomats’ families to leave Ukraine in January.
After early Thursday’s invasion, the Ghanaian Government has learned the need for swift measures to provide immediate safety for its citizens in Ukraine and Russia.
The segregation of the workforce in those two tense countries is unclear. Still, students who have traveled for academic and professional purposes are among the first segregationists to call on the Government to evacuate them from Ukraine.
A report in Ghana News agency Joy News suggests that Ghanaian students in Ukraine have made a passionate appeal to Akufo-Addo’s Government to provide them with urgent evacuation arrangements hours after the unsurprising attack on Ukraine.
The full-scale invasion fears have mounted on Ghanaian students and a broad range of students from other countries like Nigeria, Morocco, Senegal, Mali, Egypt, Sweden, and France, according to on-the-ground information.
One of the Ghanaian students, Joseph, a medical student, told Joy News on Thursday that international students in the Russia-Ukraine region are living in fear over the recent Russian invasion.
He said they must rely on their Ukrainian counterparts for information about the happenings.
“The situation here is terrible; we are all confused. Last night, when I was learning, I heard the first explosion; it was as if it was at the back of our hostel, and we all live in fear,” he said on the Super Morning Show.
“We are all in the rooms, but they say if you don’t have a shelter, you should move to the underground. If God touches the heart of our Government and they evacuate us, we will be delighted,” he said.
To compound their woes, he said students are saddled with the burden of having to look for food as there is a food shortage due to the events.
“I have two bottles of water and four biscuits, which I went out this morning to get. When I got to the shop, it was full, with only a few water bottles. I wanted to buy bread, but they [people] have bought it from the shop; I was so shocked,” he said.
Government’s responds
Meanwhile, the Government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has said it is gravely concerned about the security and safety of Ghanaians living in Ukraine following reports of tensions and violent clashes.
According to the Ministry, the Government has asked over 1,000 students and other Ghanaians (in further segregation of the workforce) to seek help at government places of shelter.
This is to ensure their safety temporarily as the government “engages the authorities, our relevant diplomatic missions, and our honorary consul on further measures.”
The Government’s statement came when the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) called for the immediate evacuation of Ghanaian students from the Ukraine-Russia region.
“As the conflict escalates within the region, governments of countries worldwide prioritize evacuating their citizens from the area to forestall harm to their citizens. Several students have fled the region, showing growing insecurity and fear among our students.
Some of those students, including Chapter Executives of NUGS in Ukraine, have touched down and contacted the National Secretariat of NUGS, advising that urgent steps be taken to ensure the safety of their colleagues still in the region. As the mother body of Ghanaian students, the safety of our students remains our paramount concern, hence our advocacy for this line of action”, NUGS said in its statement.
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