Ivoirian Refugees in Liberia are appealing to the government of Liberia and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) to relocate them in a third country that is far away from their country of origin.
The appeal was made by the Leader of Ivorian Refugees in Liberia, Serge Ouldbo, in his remarks at this year’s World Refugees Day program held Thursday at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium in Monrovia under the theme “Taking a step with Refugees.”
He said during the political crisis in their country they came to Liberia to seek refuge, but they are afraid that they could be hunted by their kinsmen due to the proximity of Liberia to their country.
He said their lives are still in danger because some of their brothers and sisters got missing and were murdered near the Liberia-Ivory Coast border.
He said in 2013 the LRRRC and UNHCR promised them that 73 families would have benefited from the 3rd Country Resettlement Program, but the effort proved fruitless.
According to him, UNHCR has not been providing adequate health treatment to the vulnerable group among them.
The Ivorian Refugees head also lamented that the refugees and their children have not been benefiting appropriately from both academic and vocational education for the past five years.
He said besides that, UNHCR is always selecting few refugees to give them financial assistance and that is done sometimes after every three to four years, and the rest of the refugees do not receive assistance.
TSS/abj/APA