Saturday, October 21, 2006
By ISAIAH LUCHELI
East African Standard
A spokesman for UNHCR, Mr Emmanuel Nyabera, said the organisation postponed the evacuation of refugees from Liboi to Dadaab refugee camp indefinitely in response to a request by the Kenyan Government.
He said his organisation and the Government were engaged in consultations in a bid to harmonise the exercise. "Talks are going on between UNHCR and the Government to find a way forward on the issue so as to facilitate further evacuation," said Nyabera.
The suspension of the exercise has caused a crisis along the Kenya-Somali border where more than 300 refugees have been crossing to
The move comes barely a day after the detection of the first case of polio in
Nyabera said that UNHCR, World Health Organisation and the United Nations Children Fund were working with the Government to contain a possible polio outbreak. He said that children in the refugee camp were being vaccinated against polio and measles to prevent an outbreak of the diseases as the refugees continue to flock the camp.
"UNHCR has deployed medical personnel to Dadaab refugee camp to assess the situation and intensify immunisation campaigns," Nyabera told The Sunday Standard in a telephone interview.
Dr Nicholas Muraguri, the head of health promotion at the Health ministry said the children would also be vaccinated against tetanus, diphtheria, hepatitis B, pertusis and meningitis.
He said similar campaigns would be carried out in other refugee camps in the country.
He said health officials had isolated all children who might have come in contact with the infected child.
Nyabera said the evacuation of refugees would only resume after a meeting with Government officials.
He said so far more than 30,000 new refugees have been received at Liboi and taken to the Dadaab refugee camp following the recent escalation of war in Somali.
The refugees, who are mostly women and children, have fled
Source: Standard, Oct. 21, 2006