Kenya Agrees to Open Ifo II Camp

Nairobi---Kenya has agreed to open a new refugee camp near the now packed Dadaab refugee complex in its north-eastern border with Somalia to assist thousands fleeing drought, worst ever experienced in the region.

Kenya’s Prime Minister Raila Odinga during his visit to the Daadab refugee camp said the Ifo II camp would open within 10 days. Initially Kenyan authorities were reluctant to complete construction of the camp over security fears and that it would encourage an influx of refugees into the country.

“Although we consider our own security, we can't turn away the refugees,” said Mr. Odinga, refuting claims that the opening of the camp had been deliberately delayed by the Kenyan government.

“They are only now responding when they see people are dying. The international community is always very late in acting. So the Kenyan government is a victim, not the accused,” he added.

The announcement follows Monday’s meeting of UN refugee agency UNHCR chief Antonio Guterres with Kenya’s Internal Security Minister George Saitoti over opening of the camp.

The Ifo II camp which has three settlements with a filling capacity of up to 80,000 people is expected to ease congestion at the Dadaab camp where about 370,000 people are crammed. About 1,500 people fleeing drought compounded with fighting in Somalia are entering into the Dadaab camp-world’s largest refugee settlement-daily, straining the process of accessing food and medical help.

Officials in the Kenyan government have expressed the huge exodus of refugees from the war-torn Somalia as a threat to national security, where they said a new camp would not be the solution to the crisis, but instead food relief should be provided inside Somalia.

Doctors at the camp have reported severe cases of acute malnutrition and related complications among those arriving at the camp, who are mostly women and very young children.

Last week the Islamist militia group Al-Shabab said it was lifting its ban on foreign aid agencies, given that they did not show a hidden agenda. The World Food Programme (WFP) say it will not return to areas controlled by the Al-Shabab unless security measures have been set up.

The Somalia government says it has opened a refugee camp in the capital, Mogadishu, but faces constrains of funds for dealing with the hunger crisis. It appealed to the international community to act urgently to save as many lives as possible.

According to the WFP, 10 million people are estimated to be in dire need of humanitarian aid in the horn of Africa region which is facing worst drought in 60 years. The UN children fund (UNICEF) has reported that over two million children are already suffering from malnutrition.

Juba, South Sudan

UN Welcomes South Sudan as New Member

The United Nations General Assembly has admitted the newly independent South Sudan as its 193rd member.

The Admission of South Sudan on Thursday was through acclamation following an earlier resolution by the Security Council recommending the new nation for membership.

The Security Council voted unanimously on Wednesday to recommend South Sudan’s membership to the world body.

South Sudan is the latest nation to join the world body since Montenegro in 2006.

The assembly President Joseph Deiss described the occasion as a “historic and joyous moment”. South’s Vice-President Riek Machar who was present during the affirmation in New York was highly received.

UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon also expressed his warm welcome of the African state to the UN.

“Welcome, welcome South Sudan to the community of nations,” said Ki-moon.

South Sudan became legitimately independent on Saturday following a secession vote in January that was unanimously passed in favour of the break away from the north. Outstanding disputes like sharing of national resources and citizenship of the oil-rich border state of Abyei are likely to strain the unfriendly relationship of the two nations.

Sudan’s President Omar Al-Bashir has on occasions said that the Abyei region is a potential source of conflict between the north and south, despite of pledging further cooperation.

The south is faced with so many developmental challenges mainly affecting the development of its infrastructure that were mostly ravaged during the 21- year civil war. South Sudan pound, currency of the new state is expected to be in circulation by next Monday.