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Thousands of Somali refugees living in two camps in Djibouti are being trained in land-mine awareness and safety measures, the United Nations office in Somalia said in a press release on 15 May. The aim of the training is to reduce possible future injuries and fatalities occasioned by mines or unexploded ordnance following the repatriation of the refugees upon their return home, according to the statement.
Ten of the refugees - eight men and two women - were selected and spent a week learning how to teach mine awareness to other refugees. The refugees are mostly from Awdal Region, northwestern Somalia, who live in two camps in southern Djibouti, each accommodating 11,000 people. Justin Brady, consultant for UN Development Programme (UNDP) Somalia, said “the trainers will be able to reach 500 refugees per camp, per week”. It was hoped that the mine-awareness programme, along with similar initiatives in Ethiopian refugee camps, would enable the refugees to return home with knowledge of how to avoid the hidden danger of mines, said the statement.
The project is being carried out with logistical support from UNDP Djibouti, funding from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and assistance from the World Food Programme (WFP) and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
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