UNHCR to support counties hosting refugees

PHOTO | TONY KARUMBA | FILE A view of a section of the Dadaab refugee camp. The UN refugee agency has said it will support county governments hosting refugees in Kenya.   AFP

By ABDIMALIK HAJIR
More by this Author

RThe UN refugee agency has said it will support county governments hosting refugees in Kenya.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative in Kenya Raouf Mazou said they would fully partner with the governments for the benefit of the communities living there.

Mr Mazou was speaking when he paid a courtesy call to Garissa Governor Nathif Jama at his office.

“UNCHR is mandated to closely work with county governments that host refugees for the benefits of the refugees and the host communities” said Mr Mazou.

The UNHCR boss said the agency is prepared to fully support the county government in terms of improving security, infrastructure, health, environment and provision of clean water.

He said UNHCR would soon host a stakeholder’s forum in Garissa to create awareness and to engage fully with the devolved government.

On his part, Garissa Governor Nathif Jama welcomed the UN agency for closely working with county government in the name of providing humanitarian assistant to the refugees.

He said local people of county like any other are more generous to welcome the affected refugees and the UN agency should reciprocate this to the communities by providing supplementary basic needs such as water.



“Much has been said about negative impact of refugees’ communities such as environment degradation but now we will forge ahead to avoid such impact” Said Nathif.
Mr Nathif said the UN agency has been given free land and free water services without asking any revenue services.



The Kenya government and UNHCR recently signed an agreement that Somali refugees would be repatriated on a voluntary basis.

(Read: Most Somali refugees in Kenya fear return home)