§ Mr. RoyTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with the Governments of(a) Uganda, (b) Kenya and (c) Ethiopia in relation to the refugee situation on their borders with Sudan.[101589]
§ Clare ShortFollowing an inter-agency Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) mission in November 2002, supported by the Humanitarian Aid Commission and Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Authority, a Displaced Persons Task Force under the auspices of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), with representatives from UNDP, UNICEF, IOM and others, has been established. UNHCR are also participating. We continue to look for and support sustainable solutions for effective reintegration of the millions of displaced people across the region. An enduring peace, and subsequent stability, is the key determinant in this regard.
175WIn terms of specific discussions that we have had with regards to the refugee situation on the borders with Sudan, we have:
- (a) on Uganda kept in close touch with humanitarian agencies, including UNHCR, as over the past year the activities of the rebel group the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) has caused increasing insecurity in parts of northern Uganda, affecting both the refugees and host population. In co-operation with the Government of Uganda UNHCR has an innovative self reliance strategy in place in Uganda, under which refugees have been provided with access to land and local services;
- (b) We have had no recent discussions with the Government of Kenya concerning the refugee situation on their border with Sudan;
- (c) We have not had any direct contact with the Ethiopian Government on this issue, but continue to monitor the situation through contact with NGO partners.