Ghana has become the first African country to evacuate its nationals fleeing Ukraine amid tension in the country after Russia’s invasion on February 24.
The first batch of 17 evacuees who are largely students touched down at the Kotoka International Airport on Tuesday morning.
The Ministery for Foreign Affairs had earlier said some 460 students have left Ukraine en route to Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.
They are expected to return home in the coming days.
Some students who arrived in the capital, Accra recounted the struggles they encountered before arriving in the country.
“We got to the border at 6:00 pm on Friday. It took 12 hours to cross the border amid fighting with Ukrainians. The boys had it so badly. The women also struggled, but it was tougher for the men,” a student said.
The total number of Ghanaians living in Ukraine is unknown and the government is currently meeting parents and guardians to document all students in the country.
It is estimated that more than 1,000 Ghanaian nationals are currently studying or working in Ukraine.
