The Government of Somaliland and UNHCR are working together to improve support to the refugee crisis in Yemen. Given its proximity to the war, the conflict has a direct impact on Somaliland, whose Port of Berbera is a destination for numerous boats carrying Yemeni refugees. UNHCR has agreed to expand its support to the government in regard to victims of forced migration from South Somalia and Ethiopia as well.
Below is an article published by: Somaliland Sun
The Government of Somaliland and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees-UNHCR have concurred on the imperatives of enhanced support to refugees fleeing the war in Yemen.
This development follows a high level meeting between the Somaliland foreign minister Mohamed Behi Younis and senior UNHCR officials in Geneva where the two sides discussed the Yemen refugee crisis and its impact on Somaliland.
This is per a statement released by the Hargeisa based foreign ministry communications office that also informed that the foreign chief and country’s representative in Norway held fruitful talks with parliamentarians and politicians.
Boatloads of refugees fleeing the Saudi led coalition war in Yemen are landing in the Somaliland port town of Berbera where they are being hosted in pre-designed facilities by the government in partnership with UNHCR, IOM and SRCS.
During the Geneva meeting it was agreed that the United Nations body shall expand UNHCR’s operations in Somaliland and increase its support to the government for apt management of the large numbers of refugees and IDPs , mostly locals and from South Somalia as well Ethiopia in addition to native Yemenis flocking by sea into the country
Prior to his meeting with UNHCR minister Behi who has been in an official Norwegian visit held discussions with parliamentarians from the country as well as an aspiring mayor of Oslo.
At the pre-UNHCR talks in which the Somaliland foreign minister accompanied by his official representative in Oslo Ambassador Sulub Hussein met with Norwegian Parliamentarians Hekki Holmas and Slyvi Graham discussions pertained to the strengthening of relations between Somaliland and Norway’s Parliament’s, development support and potential. Later on the minister met with Oslo Mayoral candidate Raymond Johansen.
Source: UNPO.org
