Saturday, February 19, 2011
“Even as we speak, there are significant urban population movements from [Somalia’s] Hiran and Middle Shabelle regions to Kenya,” UN Under-Secretary-General Valerie Amos told reporters at the world body's headquarters in New York.
The new waves of refugees from urban areas in central and southern Somalia will join the more than 430,000 Somalis who have previously fled to Kenya, added Ms Amos, who also serves as the UN's emergency relief coordinator.
In addition to urging greater assistance for the Somalis living in crowded refugee camps, Ms Amos called on the Kenyan government to address the displacement of a portion of its own population.
She said it is imperative that the remaining 30,000 Kenyans displaced by the violence following the 2007 elections be resettled prior to the next national elections.
Ms Amos, who visited Kenya and Somalia earlier this month, warned that the sub-region's drought is threatening food security in northern and eastern Kenya as well as in large parts of Somalia.
“We will continue to work with the Kenyan government to strengthen its preparedness and enhance its resilience to shocks,” she vowed.
Source: Daily Nation