Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Although efforts are underway to repatriate 500,000 Somali refugees, the government and the UN refugee agency may be looking at a new headache of 1,000 more refugees fleeing Somalia in the last three months.
The new displacements are attributed to drought in central and southern Somalia. Military offensives by the Somalia government and African Union peace-keepers against al Shabaab in south-central Somalia is also cited as a factor.
Department of Refugee Affairs officer in Dadaab Moses Muroki said new arrivals are a “significant worry”. “Some of the new refugees have relatives in the camp. They bypass concerned agencies, putting strain on other refugees and aid agencies,” he said.
However, UNHCR senior protection coordinator Leonard Zulu said the agency has put adequate measures to meet the demand of the new arrivals. Most of the new arrivals are from six regions in south-central Somalia, also affected by famine and poverty.
“We are not at an alarming stage but the drought and conflict still persist in Somalia, a situation that must worry all players involved,” Zulu told the Star in Dadaab.
Source: The Star