The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) on Friday said more than 500 Togolese citizens have sought refuge in Ghana after fleeing the recent political unrest in their country.
The agency said it was collaborating with Ghanaian authorities to support the asylum-seekers, most of whom say they fled on foot.
So far, 513 asylum-seekers have been registered by the Ghanaian authorities, after arriving in remote northwestern parts of Ghana, including Chereponi, Zabzugu and Bunkprugu-Yunyou. The majority of them are being hosted by local families and some in community centers.
A joint UNHCR/Ghana Refugee Board mission is currently on its way to those remote areas to assess the situation.
The refugee agency also said it will work together with the Ghana Refugee Board (GRB) and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) in monitoring the situation, and will work on a response plan in case of an increase of arrivals.
UNCHR as well reports that there are nearly 30 Togolese asylum-seekers who arrived in northern Benin, though it has not established if they too fled the current situation in Togo.
It said it will also work with Benin and Burkina Faso authorities on emergency preparedness, including the development of contingency plans, in case of refugee influx in these countries.
