UN: World is failing refugees

2005-06-28 14:45

New York - The world's governments are failing refugees, especially in Africa, where a lack of funding has led to family violence and a host of other problems, the top UN refugee official said on Monday.

Antonio Guterres, the new UN high commissioner for refugees, told reporters there were a range of crises that deserve attention - from displaced Uzbeks and North Koreans to Iranians and the Palestinians - but it's Africa where the refugees' plight is most dire.

"Almost all if not all our operations in Africa are under-funded, and in some circumstances extremely under-funded," Guterres said after secretary-general Kofi Annan introduced him. "In many of our camps, the food rations are quite below what is necessary."

Guterres, a former Portuguese prime minister, said under-funding led to a host of problems, including increased prostitution, family violence, a drop in school attendance and increased violence against women.

"The international community is not taking sufficiently seriously the extremely difficult problems we are facing and namely in the African continent," Guterres said. "My appeal would be for the international community to understand that this is something that is not acceptable both politically and morally."

Guterres said other issues would also take up much of his time in the coming months.

He said he will seek a "constructive dialogue" with China about refugees from North Korea, whose plight is "an issue in which UNHCR has not been able to really deliver very much in the past".

China has been criticised for forcibly returning North Koreans back home, where there have been reports of public executions of some of the returnees to deter others from leaving.

Guterres also urged nations not to shut out refugees as they fight the war on terror, saying they must not take the easy way out.

"The easy way is to define them as illegal immigrants and to kicks them out and to send them back to their countries of origin," he said. "No - my appeal is for them to respect international law."

- AP