UN refugee agency needs $90 million more to help internally displaced persons
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is asking donors for more than $90 million to fund the agency's programmes assisting people who have fled within the borders of six conflict-torn countries this year.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is asking donors for more than $90 million to fund the agency's programmes assisting people who have fled within the borders of six conflict-torn countries this year.
The agency issued a news release today on the appeal, which is included in the overall UN funding goal for the Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Liberia and Uganda.
Neill Wright, senior coordinator of UNHCR's internally displaced persons (IDPs) operations, said the agency is actively involved in some 25 IDP operations worldwide, including the latest response in Kenya.
In the Central African Republic, some 212,000 IDPs have been forced from their homes. UNHCR said any large-scale return is unlikely this year, but it will use the 2008 funding to enhance living standards. It also warned that more resources could be needed for relief aid if security there deteriorates.