EU-Funded UNITE Project Delivers Critical WASH and Shelter Infrastructure to Strengthen Resilience in Ghana’s Upper East Region
UNICEF and UNHCR hand over solar-powered water systems and refugee housing to bolster social services for displaced persons and host communities.
BAWKU WEST DISTRICT, Ghana – 27 March 2026 – United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in partnership with the Ghana Refugee Board and the Bawku West District Assembly, have officially handed over a suite of newly completed Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) facilities and durable shelters for refugees within the Bawku West district in Ghana’s Upper East Region. These critical assets, delivered under the European Union-funded UNITE Project, are designed to bridge the gap between humanitarian aid and long-term development for displaced persons and their host communities.
The UNITE Project (January 2025 – December 2026) is a multi-country initiative co-funded by the European Union and implemented by UNICEF, UNHCR, International Organization for Migration (IOM), and World Food Program (WFP) across northern Ghana, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, and Togo. In Ghana, the project focuses on Sissala West and Bawku West Districts, targeting the specific vulnerabilities of women and children.
In the Widnaba community in the Upper East region, UNICEF has completed comprehensive WASH upgrades at the Widnaba Basic and Junior High Schools and the Widnaba Health Centre. These facilities, including solar-powered mechanized boreholes and gender-sensitive sanitation blocks ensure children can learn in a safe environment and patients can receive care with dignity.
Simultaneously, UNHCR has finalized the construction of 116 durable shelters in the Tarikom community. These structures represent the first phase of a total of 350 units planned, and replace temporary settlements with secure, dignified housing for refugee families fleeing instability in the sub-region. By integrating these shelters within the district's planning, the project promotes social cohesion and the long-term protection of forcibly displaced persons.
The Bawku West District Assembly welcomed the intervention, noting that the influx of displaced persons has historically pressured local resources. The UNITE Project addresses this by expanding the capacity of existing social systems, ensuring that both "newcomers" and host residents benefit from improved infrastructure.
-ENDS-
NOTE TO EDITORS
About the UNITE Project: The UNITE Project is a €10 million initiative funded by the European Union. It aims to strengthen the resilience, protection, and self-reliance of populations in border areas of the Gulf of Guinea countries. By fostering a "One UN" approach, the project ensures that UNICEF, UNHCR, IOM, and WFP synchronize their expertise to prevent displacement-related crises.
About UNHCR: UNHCR
The UN Refugee Agency leads international efforts to protect people forced to flee their homes due to conflict and persecution. We provide life-saving aid such as shelter, food, and water, help safeguard fundamental human rights, and develop solutions that ensure people have a safe place to call home.
Media contacts
About UNICEF
UNICEF, the United Nations agency for children, works to protect the rights of every child, everywhere, especially the most disadvantaged children and in the toughest places to reach. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we do whatever it takes to help children survive, thrive, and fulfil their potential. For more information about UNICEF and its work, please visit and follow UNICEF Ghana on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
