Somali Refugees Fill UN Camp in Ethiopia Within One Month

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A refugee camp opened on the Somalia-Ethiopia border at the end of June is already full, forcing the United Nations to build another one, the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said.

As many as 2,000 Somalis fleeing war and drought are arriving each day at three camps in Dolo Odo region of southern Ethiopia, the UN said in an e-mailed statement today. Work on a fourth camp to hold as many as 40,000 people is under way.

“The dire situation in Somalia continues to push an increasing number of refugees into neighboring countries,” the UN said in the statement. “The condition of the new arrivals is of great concern: many refugees are arriving in a very weak state, with up to 45 percent of children suffering from malnutrition.”

Somalia is suffering from drought compounded by ongoing conflict between the Western-backed Transitional Federal Government and al-Qaeda-affiliated insurgents.

Cont'd at the link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-18/somali-refugees-fill-un-camp-in-ethiopia-within-one-month.html