Tuesday, June 23, 2009

UNHCR resettling Somali refuges in America

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced that it has facilitated ways to resettle 6,300 Somali refugees sheltered at the Kebribeyah refugee camp to the United States.

Speaking at an event organized to mark this year's World Refugee Day in Kebribeyah, UNHCR, Jijiga Office Program Officer, Bekele Negash told WIC that the Kebribeyah refugees camp, established 18 years ago, shelters 16,358 Somali refugees.

Some 29 of the refugees were sent to the United States through the resettlement operation being carried out jointly by the U.S government International Organization for Migration (IOM), UNHCR and the Ethiopian government.

Moreover, preliminary activities are underway to resettle 371 Somali refugees, shortly, he added.

More than 42,000 Somali refugees are currently sheltered in Kebribeyah, Awbere, Sheder and Kolmenyo refugee camps.

In a message they passed through their representative, the refugees thanked the Ethiopian government and public in the area for the reception and support they extended to the former.

Source: Waltainfo.com

No comments:

Post a Comment