|
|
|
|
|
Headline: Drought, Fighting Worsens Situation Of
'Ogaden Refugees' |
BODY:
Drought and recent fighting around the town
of Beletweyne, in central Somalia's Hiiraan
region, have aggravated the plight of at
least 1,000 Ethiopian refugee families, who
were already facing acute food shortages,
local sources told IRIN.
Most of these refugees, living in camps for
the displaced in Bilis-did and Bulo-korah
(on the outskirts of Beletweyne), are
Somalis from Ogaden in Ethiopia's Somali
region. They fled in 1977 during the war
between Ethiopia and Somalia.
"Most of us fled from Kumisar, Afdub, Rebo,
Omar Don and Dhur-dher locations in Kalafe
district of the Somali region of Ethiopia,"
Kamis Abdi Day, an elder of the two camps,
told IRIN. "We were farming communities;
some of us fled during the war while others
arrived following the drought that hit the
region."
The refugees are also known as the Rer
Shabelle, meaning families who live
alongside River Shabelle. Before the latest
fighting in Beletweyne, they survived by
doing manual work in the town and in farms
surrounding the camps.
"It seems the international community forgot
us when Siad Barre was overthrown," Day
said.
With the recent fighting, Day said, most of
the displaced were unable to earn their keep
as markets were closed and movement impeded.
"We are now facing starvation and
malnutrition," he said.
Day said the group used to receive
international aid during the Barre
administration; he was ousted in 1991.
"Things changed with Barre's removal from
office; since then, we have not gotten much
help; only ACPO [a local NGO] has supplied
us with some food. We could not flee the
latest hostility [in Beletweyne] because we
are poor people and we don't know where to
go."
A journalist based in Beletweyne, who
requested anonymity, said the refugee
situation was deteriorating.
It seems the international community forgot
us when Siad Barre was overthrown
"They have not had much to eat since
fighting [between insurgents and government
forces] erupted in the region," the
journalist said.
Despite the presence of local partners of UN
agencies, the Ethiopian refugees in Bilis-did
and Bulo-korah camps were not receiving any
aid, the journalist said.
The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR-Somalia,
confirmed that the groups were considered
"persons of concern", although they were not
receiving specific assistance from UN relief
agencies as refugees, aside from general
assistance programmes for vulnerable
communities in the area.
[ This report does not necessarily reflect
the views of the United Nations ]
Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media. (allafrica.com)
LOAD-DATE: August 12, 2008
|
|
|
|
|
