Sixteen people drowned attempting to cross the Evros river border between Turkey and Greece
Press Releases, 1 July 2010
Athens, 1 July – The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has heard from the Police Chief in Orestiada in northern Greece that sixteen people drowned while trying to cross the Evros River on 29 June. Eleven of the bodies were recovered on the Greek side of the river, while a further five were found on the Turkish side. The majority are believed to be Somalis, including three women.
"We express our deep sorrow and our solidarity to the families of the people who perished. We regret the loss of life which once again underlines the vulnerability of people who are forced to flee and are trying to reach safety," said Giorgos Tsarbopoulos, Head of the UNHCR Office in Greece.
This is the second tragic incident in the same region in one month, with three young people drowning while trying to cross the same river in late May. The flow of irregular arrivals through the Evros River has seen a three fold increase this year compared to the same period in 2009, while the arrivals through the Eastern Aegean islands have considerably decreased. According to available statistics at least 287 people lost their lives trying to reach the EU in 2009.
"Sixteen people lost their lives because they felt they had no other option than to enter the EU through the clandestine services of smugglers," noted Tsarbopoulos. "We have every reason to believe that the majority had a legitimate need to seek international protection in the EU. This tragic incident highlights the need for states to protect people at sea and crossing rivers, regardless of their motivation for doing so."
In view of ongoing conflict and dramatic humanitarian situation in Somalia, UNHCR encourages governments to assess applications for refugee status by persons from central and southern Somalia in the broadest possible way, and to extend complementary forms of international protection, where refugee status is not granted.
Tens of thousands of Somalis are fleeing conflict and drought into Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya.
Dollow: Help inside Somalia
Dollow is a dusty Somali border town with a bridge, 3 km from the Dollo Ado refugee camps across the river in Ethiopia. But many of Dollow's most recent inhabitants are internally displaced people (IDPs) who have no intention of crossing the bridge - constructed with UNHCR's help over 20 years ago - to seek humanitarian assistance. Displaced by drought and famine from the Somali regions of Gedo, Bay and Bakool, these agro-pastoralists overwhelmingly express their wish to return home if the seasonal rains come in October and it is safe to do so.
UNHCR and other UN agencies are providing aid through a variety of local NGOs. Shelter, emergency assistance packages and dry food rations are being distributed while a wet feeding centre provides much-needed sustenance to the estimated 2,000 IDPs in Dollow.
Dollow: Help inside Somalia
Somalia Airlift: UNHCR flies aid to Mogadishu for first time in 5 years.
For the first time in five years, UNHCR has been able to airlift vital humanitarian aid to the conflict-ravaged Somalia capital of Mogadishu. Tens of thousands of Somalis, fleeing drought and famine, have descended on the city in recent weeks searching for food, water, medicine and other assistance.
Three UNHCR-chartered aircraft have brought around 100 tonnes of aid to Mogadishu since August 8. The aircraft carried relief items from the agency's emergency stockpile in Dubai. The latest shipment includes high energy protein biscuits, plastic sheeting for shelter, sleeping mats, blankets, jerry cans for water and kitchen utensils.
The UN refugee agency usually delivers relief items to Mogadishu by sea and land for security reasons, but - due to the unprecedented rise in the number of uprooted civilians - UNHCR decided to airlift supplies in order to save time. There are now around half-a-million internally displaced people in Mogadishu.
Somalia Airlift: UNHCR flies aid to Mogadishu for first time in 5 years.
Somalia Emergency: Refugees move into Ifo Extension
The UN refugee agency has moved 4,700 Somali refugees from the outskirts of Kenya's Dadaab refugee complex into the Ifo Extension site since 25 July 2011. The ongoing relocation movement is transferring 1,500 people a day and the pace will soon increase to 2,500 to 3,000 people per day.
The refugees had arrived in recent weeks and months after fleeing drought and conflict in Somalia. They settled spontaneously on the edge of Ifo camp, one of three existing camps in the Dadaab complex, that has been overwhelmed by the steadily growing influx of refugees.
The new Ifo Extension site will provide tented accommodation to 90,000 refugees in the coming months. Latrines and water reservoirs have been constructed and are already in use by the families that have moved to this site.
Somalia Emergency: Refugees move into Ifo Extension
Somalia: No Peace Here
Fighting continues to force people to leave areas of the Somali capital, Mogadishu. Abduallahi Ali is fleeing from one makeshift camp to another, saying he fears for his life.
Somalia: Help at Home
UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres, on a visit to Somalia, urges stepped up assistance to people inside the country.
Somalia: Guterres in Mogadishu
During a landmark visit, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees calls on the international community to rapidly increase aid to Somalia
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