High Commissioner in Uganda, Kenya

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Ruud Lubbers, yesterday (Thursday) began a five-day visit to two East African countries, Uganda and Kenya. He is expected to meet with leaders, senior government officials and representatives of donor governments in both countries. He will visit refugee camps to review some of UNHCR's programmes for nearly half a million refugees in the two countries.

The High Commissioner arrived in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, last night at the start of a two-day visit there. This morning, he is expected to meet with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and other senior government officials. Tomorrow, April 12, the High Commissioner will visit Sudanese refugees in Kiryandongo Refugee camp, some 145 km north of the Ugandan capital. Accompanied by the 2nd Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, he will meet with refugee leaders representing more than 30,000 Sudanese refugees at the camp, among them some 16,000 who fled a vicious rebel attack on the Achol-Pii camp in Pader district last August.

Mr. Lubbers proceeds to Kenya on Sunday, 13 April. He is scheduled to meet with Kenya's new president, Mwai Kibaki, and other senior government officials during his three-day stay. On Monday, the High Commissioner will travel to Kakuma refugee camp, some 800 km north-west of Nairobi. He wants to see first-hand some of the effects of funding shortfalls being experienced by UNHCR. He will also review the food situation in Kakuma. A food survey at the end of 2002 showed that malnutrition had risen to an unacceptable 16 per cent in children under five due to recurrent food shortages. He concludes his visit to Kenya on Tuesday, 15 April.