Sick and Tired of the Somali Peace
Process? ( 5 )

( In their desperate attempt to get help, Ethiopian refugees appeal to
the UNHCR Chief  to intercede into their case )

December 17, 1990

To: His Excellency, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,
Geneva

From: Urban Political Refugees in Somalia,

Subject: Critical Situation Facing Refugees in Somalia,

Dear Sir,

We, urban political Refugees in Somalia, feel obliged to appeal to you
and the international world community, to intercede into the critical
situation facing us, by demonstrating to the reason it has arisen.

We are the victims of conscience, victimized by the political changes,
whether in the past or in the present, reducing us to the original point,
helpless refugees but human beings.

We understand the financial difficulties UNHCR is facing at the
moment, however we don’t expect UNHCR as a body charged with
responsibility to defend the lives and rights of refugees to keep silent
while its subjects face untold miserable situation.

We also understand that the resource of our host nation is limited,
therefore we expect no more than what it had provided us: allowing us
to enter its territory for which we are grateful.

But, we expect more from the concerned body since we are its
mandate, and which also has world wide support and resources.

UNHCR has been dealing with refugee problems for a long time here in
Somalia, in fact a lot  has been done, though the remaining
responsibility needs  great concern and the Branch Office in Mogadisho
seems unable to coup with these growing problems.

When it comes to dealing with refugees’ problem, the policies applied
by UNHCR, BO in Somalia is in contrast with the policy of the world
wide recognized genuine humanitarian body
( UNHCR ).

According to the so called supplementary aid project policy conducted
by the BO in 1985 and which has been applied since then, refugees who
choose to live in Mogadisho must be able to support themselves
financially, but how? Keeping in mind that we can not able to get job
since jobs are scarce for locals themselves. We are aware of the fact
that UNHCR is not a social welfare agency, but the situation we find
ourselves left us no option but to bring to your attention the tragic
circumstances facing us.

For example: those refugees entitled to get the monthly assistance of
So. Shs. 20, 000 would spend the entire money just to rent a poor
room, and could no longer afford to buy the cheapest food item like a
kilo of beans which costs So. Shs. 2,000 or the common food item like
a kilo of spaghetti or rice which each costs So. Shs. 3,000.

Medical facilities opened for refugees are slowly becoming out of
qualified medical staff and due to this many refugees have run into risk
and some have already lost their lives. IC. 000228, IC. 000291, are the
evidence in the case.

The other deplorable condition is the fact the BO is cutting down its
services while the number of new arrival asylum seekers constantly
increasing. Many have to wait up to more than six months just to hear
if they would be assisted or not, in the process dying of hunger,
malnutrition and diseases. Even worse is the fate of those rejected
cases, (Usually most cases are rejected) they are human beings too,
there has to be a way to help them through humanitarian grounds.
UNHCR shouldn’t ignore their plea.

Due to the ongoing civil war, the situation of refugees who settled in
various camps out side Mogadisho is quickly turning to tragic, we have
now reports reaching us from Jalalaqsi, Luuq Jellow, Qoryoley
hundreds of refugees being butchered for no apparent reason and no
one, not even UNHCR is trying to stop this ongoing slaughter. Of
course this is without mentioning those who perished because of lack
of food & medicine, like those in Qoryoley.

Our repeated effort to voice our concern to the BO brought no result,
instead what we are witnessing at the moment is that, the staffs at the
BO in Mogadisho one by one leaving out of Somalia, that brings to an
end of having an international body assigned in guarding our basic
rights.

In the light of these facts, we urban political refugees hope, your
personal humanity would play a great role in considering our appeal
urgently and stop the untold human tragedy faced by refugees in
Somalia.

Yours Faithfully,
Urban political refugees in Somalia,

CC: Representative of UNHCR branch office Somalia
CC: Amnesty International
CC: Red Cross
CC: American Embassy
CC: Canadian Embassy
CC: Australian Embassy
CC: Pope John Paul
CC: EEC
CC: BBC
CC: Swedish Church Relief
CC: World Concern Church
CC: VOA Amharic Service

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By Dereje Hailu Kassa | 24, March 2009
" This writing is neither about the war in
Afghanistan, nor about the Canadian soldiers who
died there. It's rather about transparency and
accountability, above all a  respect for human being.
Why these things are eroded in my beloved country,
where an opponent's life is dispensable?....Home
Editor's blog
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Somalia: Arms race Vs Arms embargo
By Dereje Hailu Kassa | November 19,2008
" ...The first U.N. Security Council Resolution 733
which was adopted on January 23, 1992 a year after
President Siad Barre was toppled supposed to do
just that.  For anyone who closely follow the
situation in Somalia, it is clearly  understandable  that
what is lacking is not a new resolution, More