Ghana fire devastates garment traders

Ten thousand traders have been affected by a fire that destroyed nearly two-thirds of Ghana’s Kantamanto Market, one of the world’s largest secondhand clothing markets.

The traders receive around 15 million used clothes from the Global North every week, recirculating garments through resale, reuse, and repair. The blaze this month has compounded the insecurity of retailers and tailors, said Liz Ricketts of The Or Foundation, an Accra-based organization that campaigns against textile waste.

“It is time for the global fashion industry to support the vital work markets like Kantamanto perform both within the global secondhand supply chain and fashion’s circular ambitions,” she told Semafor.