Somalia / 40,000 internally displaced persons have returned to Mogadishu
MOGADISHU, Somalia, February 28, 2009/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Daily press briefing by the office of the spokesperson for the UN secretary-general
Turning to Somalia, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that more than 40,000 internally displaced persons have returned to Mogadishu in the last six weeks.
For its part, UNHCR says it is not encouraging returns to Mogadishu at this time, since the security situation remains volatile. But, at the same time, the agency says it is preparing to help returnees or those who wish to return in the near future, in the hope that the security situation will improve.
UNHCR notes that the total number of Somalis displaced within their own country is a staggering 1.3 million.
SOURCE : United Nations – Office of the Spokesperson of the Secretary-General
