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UN Official Says Kenyan
Displaced Need Assistance for Several Months
By Derek Kilner
Nair
10 February 2008
The United Nations' top humanitarian official has concluded a
visit to camps for people displaced by post-election violence in
Kenya. He said arrangements should be made to accommodate many of
the displaced for at least the next few months. Derek Kilner
reports from Nairobi.
The Kenya Red Cross estimates that 300,000 Kenyans have been
displaced by violence after a disputed presidential election in
late December. But U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator John Holmes,
following a tour of displacement camps in the country, says the
actual figure is likely much higher.
"There are probably many more people who have been displaced from
their homes who are not in camps, who have gone back to their
ancestral homes, who are living with relatives, who are living
with host communities, who are living with neighbors, who are not
included at the moment in the count of people who are in camps but
who are no less in need of physical help, psychological help,"
said Holmes.
Much of the violence has been carried out along ethnic lines, and
many of those displaced were members of a minority tribe in their
community. Many who have fled their homes say they do not feel
comfortable returning. Holmes expressed optimism that most would
be able to return to their homes, but said it could be some time
yet before this is possible.
"Clearly what we all hope is that people will all be able to go
home as soon as they can but it is clear from talking to people
that this is not for the vast majority of them something that we
can contemplate in the immediate future, given what they have been
through and their experiences and the problems there still are,"
he continued. "No one wants camps to be there for longer than they
absolutely have to be, but I think we have to plan for some camps
being there for at least a period of months while the problems are
being sorted out."
Holmes visited camps in the Rift Valley region, the site of some
of the most serious inter-tribal clashes, as well as camps around
the capital Nairobi, whose vast slums have also seen considerable
violence.
Holmes said security concerns prevented the trip from reaching the
western city of Kisumu. In the homeland of Raila Odinga's Luo
tribe, the city has seen severe rioting and looting. The bulk of
the Kikuyu community, to which President Mwai Kibaki belongs, has
fled.
Violence has fallen off in recent days, as the country follows a
mediation effort between Mr. Odinga and Mr. Kibaki led by former
U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan. The negotiations reportedly
made significant progress on Friday. The talks are set to resume
Monday with the two sides discussing a power-sharing arrangement.
There has been no word on what such an arrangement might look like,
though there has been much discussion of Mr. Odinga and Mr. Kibaki
sharing power for two to three years, followed by new elections.
Many expect some form of agreement to be announced in the coming
days.
In addition to an immediate political solution, longer-term
negotiations over underlying problems, including ethnic tensions,
land grievances, and constitutional reform are also planned.
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