The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has submitted a more than 200-page response to an RTI request concerning the government’s evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa, providing details of how the GH¢49.7 million expenditure was allocated.
The report was submitted electronically on Friday, September 18, 2026, to Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Committee. Sources close to the committee said the report contains records relating to more than 1,900 evacuees, including contact details and signature records.
The evacuation exercise ran from May 27 to September 4, 2026, and brought 1,964 Ghanaians back to the country.
According to figures released by the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the total cost of the exercise was GH¢49,721,786.
How the GH¢49.7 million was spent
The expenditure breakdown released in connection with the RTI response shows that GH¢27,183,700 was spent on chartered flights.
A further GH¢9,420,463.68 covered commercial airline tickets and layover expenses, bringing direct air transportation costs to more than GH¢36.6 million.
Other reported expenditure included:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Chartered flights | GH¢27,183,700 |
| Commercial tickets and layover expenses | GH¢9,420,463.68 |
| Reintegration and transport allowances | GH¢10,802,000 |
| Ground transportation in South Africa | GH¢997,644 |
| Feeding | GH¢634,349.99 |
| Logistics | GH¢162,917.76 |
| Communication | GH¢153,728.09 |
| Hotel accommodation | GH¢141,797.86 |
| Printing | GH¢98,151 |
| Medical services/hospitalisation | GH¢20,148 |
| Repatriation/autopsy of two deceased nationals | GH¢84,274 |
| Miscellaneous | GH¢22,610.84 |
The figures reported by Citi Newsroom and MyJoyOnline are based on documents released in response to the RTI request.
GH¢5,500 support for each returnee
The reported GH¢10.802 million reintegration and transportation allocation covered a GH¢5,000 reintegration grant and GH¢500 transport allowance for each of the 1,964 returnees, amounting to GH¢5,500 per person.
The returnees also received medical screening, National Health Insurance registration, SIM cards with data and airtime, and food packages.
The International Organization for Migration, NADMO and the Ghana Red Cross Society provided psychosocial support, logistics, hot meals and water, while the Church of Pentecost provided accommodation for some affected Ghanaians in South Africa.
Government and private-sector contributions
The Government of Ghana contributed GH¢33,721,786 towards the exercise, while Engineers and Planners contributed GH¢16 million.
The government has indicated that the evacuation bill has been fully settled with no outstanding liabilities.
RTI request filed before evacuation ended
Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh submitted the RTI request while the evacuation exercise was still ongoing.
The request sought financial and operational information relating to the exercise, including details of flights, procurement, payments, private-sector contributions and support provided to returnees.
The Ministry had earlier indicated that it could not provide a complete final account while the evacuation was still underway because expenditure and other operational details had not yet been completed.
The operation was eventually concluded on September 4, when the final 41 evacuees arrived in Accra. The Ministry subsequently said it would provide a full account of the funds expended.
Minority seeks supporting documents
The Minority has sought supporting financial records for the expenditure, including invoices, payment vouchers, receipts, contracts and procurement documents covering the various components of the evacuation.
The latest RTI response is intended to provide the information requested as Parliament examines the expenditure associated with the operation. Copies of the report were also reportedly made available to the leadership of the Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Committee.
Special audit requested
Separately, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has requested a special audit of government-funded evacuation exercises from 2017 to date.
The proposed audit covers previous evacuation operations involving Ghanaians during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ukraine crisis, the Sudan crisis and the 2026 South Africa evacuation. MyJoyOnline reported that the request to the Auditor-General was submitted on September 17, 2026.
GH Educate has not located a publicly downloadable copy of the full 200-plus-page RTI report. The figures and details above are based on the Ministry’s published information and reports by media organisations that have reviewed or reported from the documents.
