UN, Sudan studying project to help Eritrean refugees

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

December 6, 2009 (ADDIS ABABA) — The UN refugee agency says, jointly with the Sudanese government, is advising about possible projects to make thousands of languishing Eritrean refugees self-reliant.

Despite their big dreams to cross to rich nations via Sudan for better life, thousands of Eritrean refugees woke up to the realities finding themselves in grim camp condition, lucking food security, proper health care and with no access to better education for refugee children.

Refugees are allowed to work in Sudan, but government policy is to keep them inside the camps.

Now after over 40 years of support from international donors to the camps, the United Nations Higher Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says it is looking for other options to make the unfolding size of refugees in Sudan self reliant.

After formulating a comprehensive programme with the Sudanese government, UNHCR says it will present the suggested activities to international donors in 2010, which would require additional funds. UNHCR spent US$16 million this year on the camps.

Among the projects being discussed between the UN and government of Khartoum is leasing irrigated land to refugees so they can provide for their own food needs and sell the excess to self-support other needs.

With no clear end in sight, UNHCR says the refugee problem could be exacerbated as agencies expect a bigger influx of Eritreans and also Ethiopian refugees to cross into Sudan in the next few months because of a drought and food shortages.

“There are very clear indications both in Ethiopia and Eritrea, as well as in eastern Sudan that this will be a very bad season. It’s the coming season in the next few months that is going to be really crucial to see whether this will materialize,” UNHCR representative in Sudan, De Clerq told UN News Agency.

If drought does hit those regions, the numbers of refugees from neighbouring countries coming into Sudan in the next few months could be as high as “tens of thousands of people”, he said.

These days, Eritrea’s policy of indefinite military conscription, coupled with drought and poor economic opportunities, prompt some 1,800 Eritreans to cross into Sudan every month, according to the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR.

With many more arriving on daily bases, currently, Eastern Sudan hosts more than 66,000 registered Eritrean refugees, including those who first arrived in 1968 during the early years of Eritrea’s war of independence against Ethiopia.

“Refugees have been here for the past 30-40 years, which is two to three generations, and that is quite unique,” the UN official says adding “It is as far as we know the longest-standing refugee situation in Africa that is still protracted. That is mostly because of the political situation inside Eritrea,” he said.

Shagarab, with the worst conditions among the three biggest camps in eastern Sudan, houses more than 21,000 mostly Eritrean refugees, in addition to some Ethiopians and Somalis.

The 1,800 monthly arrivals also include young men who flee forced conscription in the Eritrean army.

(ST)