UNHCR official says agency is prepared for refugee exodus

The Deputy High Commissioner of the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has said that in the event that the United States launches any attacks on Somalia as part of its war on terrorism, the agency has developed contingency plans for coping with any resultant refugee exodus. Although informed UN Somalia analysts remain adamant that recent claims concerning the existence of terror cells within Somalia have been wildly exaggerated, speculation has been rife in the past few weeks that the United States military will turn their attention next to Somalia.

Mary Ann Wyrsch, UNHCR's Deputy High Commissioner, said on Tuesday that the agency was ready to respond if the United States were to launch any attack. "Not only do we see the potential for displacement into Kenya, but into Ethiopia and possibly into Djibouti," she said. During the past decade more than 325,000 Somali refugees had been successfully repatriated back to Somalia and Ms Wyrsch said that it would be a "tragedy" if the number of Somali refugees were to grow again rather than shrink. A UNHCR spokesman told IRIN on Wednesday that there were plans to repatriate a further 50,000 Somali refugees from Ethiopia, Kenya, Yemen and Djibouti next year.