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Appeal for help for refugees in Guinea-Bissau

    ABIDJAN

    Sierra Leone's 516 refugees in Guinea-Bissau - in desperate need of shelter, money and jobs - are asking for urgent help, according to an appeal sent out on their behalf by Andrew Lawday, a humanitarian consultant in London.

    "Many have had their precarious livelihoods destroyed by the conflict that ended this year," Lawday said in the appeal, issued on Tuesday for the Association of Sierra Leonean Refugees in Guinea-Bissau, many of whose members fled war in their country only to become victims of Guinea-Bissau's own military revolt that ended this year.

    According to Lawday, the refugees want projects funded to enable them to become productive members of their host country, starting with a food-for-work project open to refugees of all nationalities and Guinea-Bissau citizens. "Liberians refugees in Guinea-Bissau are likely to be in a similarly desperate situation," Lawday said.

    Three projects needing donor aid would provide high school education and skills training, and refurbish a building to be used as a social centre for refugees. The high school programme would cater for 50-100 teenagers and the professional skills training would be provided for youths and adults.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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