UNHCR official starts 10-day mission to Sudan, Chad, Kenya

Aug 19, 2005 (Geneva) — The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced Friday that its High Commissioner Antonio Guterres starts next Monday a 10-day mission to Khartoum, Darfur, Southern Sudan, Chad and Kenya.

UNHCR spokesperson Jennifer Pagonis told reporters that the situation in Sudan is of key importance with some 200,000 refugees from Darfur in eastern Chad.

In addition, Pagonis said that Guterres would be assessing the situation in South Sudan where UNHCR is planning the return of some 500,000 refugees who fled 21 years ago a civil war to Kenya, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In Kenya, Guterres will visit the Kakuma refugee camp which hosts some 60, 000 refugees.

Guterres will return to Geneva on September 1st.

KUNA.