Sudan prominent in refugee statistics

At the beginning of this year, there were 1.5 million people of concern to UNHCR in seven countries of East Africa and Horn of Africa, UNHCR reported on Wednesday. Of these, 339,446 were refugees from Sudan, 281,423 from Somalia and 368,969 from Eritrea, it said. Sudan, as well as producing the second largest number of refugees, after Burundi, was also host to the third largest refugee population on the continent - after Tanzania and Guinea - at the start of 2001, according to the UNHCR statistics. Sudan was hosting 414,800 refugees, while Uganda was host to 238,040 refugees and Kenya to 213,610 at the start of the year, UNHCR reported. The top 10 African countries of origin at the start of 2001 included Sudan, with 485,000 refugees; Somalia, with 441,600; Eritrea, 377,100; and Ethiopia, with 43,600, it said. In view of the various refugee situations within the East and Horn of Africa, the agency said it would maintain its presence in the seven countries of the region, but would also make efforts to consolidate camps with reduced caseloads in Sudan, Djibouti and Ethiopia, and to close several field offices in Somalia.