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| Africa Horn |
| UNHCR alarmed by number of refugees at Kenya-Somali border |
| 2010-10-30 |
| (KUNA) -- The United Nations, aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society High Commissioner for Refugees was alarmed on Friday by a fast deteriorating humanitarian situation at the northern part of the Kenya-Somali border. "This week had seen hundreds of Somalis continuing to flee festivities between Al-Shabaab and Ahlu Sunna Wal Jamaa, a militia group allied to the transitional Somali Government, in the Somali border town of Beled Hawo," said the spokeman of The UNHCR Adrian Edwards in a press briefeing in Geneva. As of yesterday, more than 7,100 refugees were squatting at Border Point One, some 500 meters from the Kenya Somali border. These were mostly women, children and the elderly. Their security and health conditions were deteriorating by the hour. Some had been camping out in the open at Border Point One since 17 October when the fighting broke out, he explained. Thanks to the Islamic Relief Worldwide, a UNHCR partner agency, one of the trucks had been shot at while delivering supplies to refugees at Border Point One, resulting in humanitarian activities having to be suspended. On Friday the UNHCR resumed distribution of relief supplies after the Kenyan authorities had provided security at the site. UNHCR was also carrying out rapid health screening so that the sick could get some immediate treatment. Shelter remained a big concern as it had been raining for days in the region. The UNHCR deployed more staff to Mandera. Should festivities resume in Beled Hawo, UNHCR's concern was that many lives would be at risk with so many refugees in such proximity of fighting. UNHCR urged the Kenyan authorities to allow relocation of these people as soon as possible. |
| Posted by:Fred |