Sunday, June 19, 2011
Speaking at an event organized to mark World Refugee Day at Ethiopian Conference Hall, Okello said: “We are grateful to the government and people of Ethiopia for their generosity. This generosity is rooted in a shared humanity and a shared belief that there are no tolerable levels of suffering. It is a recognition that even one person forced to flee war or persecution, is one too many.”
He said Ethiopia is currently hosing over 200,000 refugees from neighbouring countries of Somalia, Eritrea, Sudan, the Great Lakes region and further afield. “In a world where the forces of food insecurity, climate change and conflict combine to push people to move, it is developing countries which are disproportionately shouldering the weight. These countries should be applauded and supported,” he added.
According to the EH, Okello said it is necessary for the international community to step forward and act. “We need to find solutions. We need to invest in peace; people need to be helped to go home or to be given a chance to start new lives,” he indicated.
On this World Refugee Day, said the representative, UNHCR is asking states and everyone everywhere to reflect on the solidarity expressed 60 years ago to help the most vulnerable and to ensure those fleeing danger protection and support.
Administration for Refugee/Returnee Affairs (ARRA) Programme Coordinator, Mekonnen Shewarega on his part said that Ethiopian government remains committed to assisting refugees that are sheltered in Ethiopia in all aspects in close collaboration with UNHCR, UN bodies and NGOs until peace and stability are restored in the country of their origin.
“The protracted refugee assistance on one hand and the increasing influx of refugees on the other is devouring the limited financial and material resources donors allocate significantly and as result have affected the basic services we provide to the refugees both in terms of quality and quantity,” he said.
He said the rising price of food items and accommodation has further aggravated the economic and social conditions of refugees to deteriorate particularly in urban areas. “Thus, Mekonnen said: “We urge the international community and donor countries to increase and extend the humanitarian assistance to African refugees than ever before.”
He said currently, there are 109,967 Somali, 62,814 Eritrean, 25,966 Sudanese, 2,845 Kenyan refugees and other 1,837 urban refugees from different countries in Ethiopia.
This year's World Refugee Day was marked with the theme: “One Refugee Without Hope Is too Many.” The Day was marked here in Addis by refugee communities with presentation of songs, poems and melodramas. It was attended by dignitaries and invited guests.