The United Nations Refugee Agency, UNHCR, is appealing to Eritrea not to close the country’s only refugee camp, which incident will affect largely Somali inhabitants. Reports indicate that Umkulu refugee camp had seen hundreds of refugees abandon it in recent weeks, amidst reports that local authorities had asked residents to leave. Closing a camp which has hosted Somali refugees for close to twenty years without offering alternatives raises serious concerns. “Closing a camp which has hosted Somali refugees for close to twenty years without offering alternatives raises serious concerns,” UNHCR’s Mazou added. According to UNHCR records, as of mid-June, the camp hosted more than 2,100 Somali refugees.

Source: Ethiopian News July 04, 2019 12:55 UTC