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FM MOGADISHU
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TELNO 203
OF 110915Z SEPTEMBER 36
CONFIDENTIAL
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Kap. briefing
261
MY TEL NO 195: UNHCR 37TH EXCOM GENEVA
1. NATURE OF REFUGEES
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SOMALIA BRIEF
A) REFUGEES IN SOMALIA FALL MAINLY INTO THREE CATEGORIES. THOSE WHO FLED OGADEN AS A RESULT OF THE 1977-78 CONFLICT: THOSE WHO HAVE DRIFTED INTO CAMPS IN SEARCH OF FOOD FOLLOWING POOR SEASONS, OR SIMPLY BECAUSE FOOD IS THERE: THOSE SINCE 1984 WHO HAVE FLED FROM ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL POLICIES OF ETHIOPIA (VILLAGISATION, ETC). AFTER SO MANY YEARS AND IN ABSENCE OF ACCURATE CENSUS IMPOSSIBLE TO SEPARATE FIRST TWO GROUPS: THEY PROBABLY NUMBER ABOUT 450,000. THIRD GROUP ARE CENTERED AT TUG WAJALE WHERE REASONABLY ACCURATE CENSUS WAS CARRIED OUT LAST MONTH. THEY NUMBER ABOUT 31,000 OF WHOM 21,000 ARE PROBABLY OROMOS. THERE ARE IN ADDITION VERY SMALL
NUMBER OF MANDATORY REFUGEES.
B) UNHCR AND SOMALI GOVERNMENT CLASSIFY ALL THOSE IN CAMPS AS REFUGEES. THERE HAVE BEEN RECENT INDICATIONS THAT GOVERNMENT WOULD
LIKE SOME OGADENIS AND ALL OROMOS TO RETURN TO HOMELANDS.
2. NEEDS OF REFUGEES
A) NEEDS OF REFUGEES ARE ASSESSED BY UNHCR AND SOMALI NATIONAL REFUGEE COMMISSION, ASSISTED AND ADVISED BY REFUGEE HEALTH UNIT,
DONOR COUNTRIES AND VOLUNTARY AID AGENCIES. REGULAR MEETINGS, ARE
HELD BETWEEN ALL THESE BODIES WITH FRANK EXCHANGE OF VIEWS.
B) AS FAR AS WE ARE AWARE UNHCR HAS NOT SOUGHT TO HAVE REFUGEES INCLUDED IN OVERSEAS TRAINING PROBLEMS. FEW OF THOSE IN SOMALIA
WOULD HAVE REQUISITE EDUCATIONAL STANDARD.
3. ASSISTANCE PROGRAMMES
A) PERFORMANCE OF THE UNHCR UNDER ITS NEW REPRESENTATIVE MATSUMOTO HAS IMPROVED GREATLY OVER PAST YEAR. REFUGEE NEEDS ARE
ASSESSED AS DESCRIBED ABOVE. ASSISTANCE PROVIDED APPEARS TO BE GENERALLY ADEQUATE AND OF RIGHT TYPE, THOUGH SOME CAMPS APPEAR TO BE BETTER OFF THAN OTHERS, REFLECTING LOCAL CONDITIONS AND QUALITY AND HONESTY OF CAMP MANAGEMENT. THERE ARE OCCASIONAL INSTANCES OF
MISUSE OF FOOD AID BY THE ARMY AND OTHER SEMI-OFFICIAL BODIES, THOUGH LESS FREQUENTLY THAN IN PAST.
B) UNHCR AND DONORS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT DEPENDENCY SYNDROME IN
SOME CAMPS, PARTICULARLY THOSE SITED IN AREAS UNSUITABLE FOR AGRICULTURE. MAJOR PROBLEM IS SIZE OF CAMPS. IN SOMALIA THERE
ARE ABOUT 40 TOWNS WITH POPULATION IN EXCESS OF 5,000. THERE ARE
30 TO 40 REFUGEE CAMPS WITH POPULATIONS IN EXCESS OF THAT FIGURE.
SOME HAVE BECOME HUB OF ACTIVITY IN THEIR AREA. I BELIEVE UN AGENCIES AND OTHER DONORS SHOULD RECOGNISE THAT MANY OF THE CAMPS
NOW BECOMING URBAN CENTRES AND THAT IN COOPERATION WITH SOMALI GOVERNMENT CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO WAYS OF PROVIDING
APPROPRIATE INFRASTRUCTURE, WITH AIM OF TURNING THEM INTO VIABLE ECONOMIC UNITS.
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CONFIDENTIAL
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