Ghanaians in Iran airlifted to Turkey, government prepares Israel evacuation

The government has successfully evacuated a group of Ghanaian nationals from Iran to Turkey, with plans underway to evacuate others currently residing in Israel.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, confirmed the development in a Facebook post on Friday, June 20, 2025. 

He said the evacuation followed diplomatic engagements with the Iranian and Israeli ambassadors earlier in the week.

“So far, the first batch of Ghanaians in Iran have been evacuated to Turkey successfully. Our fellow nationals living in Israel will be evacuated shortly,” Mr Ablakwa stated.

He explained that the discussions with Ambassador Ali Ghomshi of Iran and Ambassador Roey Gilad of Israel formed part of a broader evacuation effort prompted by the conflict between the two Middle Eastern nations.

Mr Ablakwa noted that while evacuations from Iran had proceeded, the situation in Israel remained more complex due to the country’s state of emergency and closed borders.

In an earlier meeting with the European Union on Monday, June 17, Mr Ablakwa called for logistical assistance from international partners to support Ghana’s evacuation efforts.

“We also appeal for your support in terms of logistics as we currently continue with our evacuation of Ghanaians in Iran and Israel following the unfortunate conflict that has erupted over the last few days,” he said.

Mr Ablakwa had earlier announced the closure of Ghana’s embassy in Tehran on June 16.

He explained that the move was necessary to protect the safety of diplomatic staff. He also revealed that the Ghanaian embassy in Tel Aviv had scaled down its operations in response to the conflict.

Ghanaian citizens living in Israel have been urged to stay in close contact with consular officials. Temporary access to bomb shelters has been arranged for their use while evacuation arrangements are finalised.

According to Mr Ablakwa, there are currently 922 Ghanaians in Israel, including 65 students enrolled in six universities. No injuries or deaths involving Ghanaians have been reported so far.

He reaffirmed the government’s position that peaceful dialogue must prevail and urged both countries to de-escalate tensions.

Mr Ablakwa added that an Emergency Evacuation Plan had already been approved and would be implemented once Israeli authorities grant permission for the evacuation of Ghanaian nationals.