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Guinea: UN agency resumes transfer of Liberian refugees to safer inland camps

Guinea: UN agency resumes transfer of Liberian refugees to safer inland camps

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has resumed the transfer of Liberian refugees from the Tekoulo transit centre in neighbouring Guinea to two camps in the interior of the country, the agency announced today.

A total of 845 Liberian refugees were transferred from the volatile border area to relatively safe established camps in the Albadariah area further inland over weekend, according to UNHCR. The movements had been interrupted on 25 September to allow time for road repairs and security screening of refugees.

The refugees had spent more than a month in the Tekoulo transit centre, which has limited health facilities, no schools or activities for children and where cases of malnutrition and skin diseases were reported. UNHCR said it would complete the transfer of the few hundred refugees who are still at the centre later this week.

This year, the renewed crisis in Liberia has led nearly 40,000 people to flee to Guinea, while another 50,000 fled to Sierra Leone and 17,000 to Côte d'Ivoire. UNCHR said it needs an additional $3.8 million this year on top of $10.4 million already received to help Liberia's neighbours cope with the new arrivals.