AMPAIN, Ghana, 12 October (UNHCR) – A 12-member television crew including two celebrated Spanish chefs and an international investigative journalist has visited the Ampain Refugee Camp in the Western Region to film a documentary that is to be used as part of fundraising efforts for Ivorian refugees in Ghana. The mission which was organized under the auspices of Spain for UNHCR (España con ACNUR), one of UNHCR’s six national fundraising partners, has come at an opportune time where UNHCR globally is struggling to respond to and meet the humanitarian needs of over 60 million refugees, asylum-seekers and internally displaced persons in the world due to severe funding shortfalls. Ghana is no exception as general food distributions for Ivorian refugees in camps comes to an end in September 2015.

The 20 minute documentary titled ‘mano a mano’ meaning ‘hand in hand’ will be shown on La Sexta TV (a popular TV channel in Spain). The documentary tells the story of the life of refugees in the camp starting from inadequate shelter facilities, food, and access to water and health amongst others. As part of the filming, the two chefs joined two refugee families to prepare a meal using the regular food ration available to the refugees, adding a touch of Spanish cuisine to make the food more delicious. Paco Roncero is a celebrated Spanish Chef from Madrid who owns several restaurants including the world’s most expensive restaurant ‘Sublimotion’ in Ibiza Spain and host on popular TV programs ‘Top Chef’ as well as ‘Master Chef’ in Colombia.

Susi Diaz is an award-winning professional chef and owner of the popular ‘La Finca Restaurant’ which has been in existence for over 30 years. Susi Díaz has worked with several different television and radio programs, and is also hostess on the “Top Chef” television program. Together with Jalis Delaserna who an international Journalist who is into social documentaries, the three personalities expect to bring home to the Spanish audience, the dire situation in the refugee camp in Ghana and to raise some support to cover critical areas such as shelter, livelihoods and health.

The project, is an innovative branded content initiative titled ‘Mano a Mano’ – ‘Hand to hand’ – connoting hand in hand with refugees. A Spain for UNHCR donor development officer noted that this is the first time a TV station in Spain is taking up such an initiative and the Team is hopeful the results will be positive. The documentary is expected to be shown to the Spanish audience in November, 2015. UNHCR Representative in Ghana, Ms. Chansa Kapaya, welcomed the initiative and was hopeful it will attract the necessary attention and donations to help support over 8,800 Ivorian refugees living in 3 refugee camps in Ghana. She said as general food distributions have been cut, refugees needed more support in the area of livelihoods and skills training.

A Programme Coordinator of the Ghana Refugee Board, Mr. Tetteh Padi expressed the government of Ghana’s concern on the dried up food pipeline, adding that a lot more support is needed to ensure the refugees are able to stand on their feet. In recent times, aid programs for refugees and host communities globally have been plagued by chronic funding shortages.

UNHCR Spokesperson Adrian Edwards has said the current inter-agency Syrian regional refugee and resilience (3RP) plan for 2015 is only 41% funded, which has meant cuts in food aid for thousands of refugees, and those that get it having to survive on US$0.45-0.50 a day. According to UNHCR Global Trends Report, as at December 2014, there were about 252,000 refugees in West Africa. Refugees and other persons of concern from Cote d’Ivoire numbered about 121,801. Ghana is currently hosting about 11,452 Ivorian refugees, with approximately 80% of them living in 3 refugee camps in the Western, Central and Brong Ahafo Regions of Ghana.