Nairobi (Sunatimes) In a joint statement received today, the Somali exiled journalists in Kenya condemned the deliberate inaction and the systematically-adopted policy by UNHCR of ignoring their Pressing problems and needs.

According to the journalists concerned, the UNHCR offices are systematically ignoring and turning down their legitimate insecurity claims and in most cases refuse to even listen to their legitimate and simple pleas for assistance.

According to one journalist, who requested his identity to be hidden, he has sought refuge in Kenya approximately a year and halph ago and as per his friends advice, he promptly visited the UNHCR office in Nairobi only a day after he had arrived in Nairobi, when he finally reached there, he was surprised to be received with arrogance and impatience by the UNHCR staff.

“When ever I tried to explain anything, the registration staff was inpatient, arrogant and utterly mannerless, their final words were “WARYAA  - WE DONT WANT TO HEAR YOUR LIFE STORY, TAKE YOUR  APPOINTMENT SLIP  AND  LEAVE NOW!” 

Driven by strong security guards, I was forced to take the appointment slip which indicated that my next appointment date will be eleven months after that fateful day, ELEVEN MONTHS TO BE INITIALLY INTERVIEWED, CAN YOU IMMAGINE THAT?! The journalist adds.

Another journalist who experienced the same issue with UNHCR  goes by the name “ Abdi”, Abdi explains his extended suffering with UNHCR office in Nairobi saying that, he also has gone through the same procedure explained above and was also given appointment date which was nearly after ten months, and as result of that ,he has angrily thrown his appointment slip inside nearby dustbin with the watchful eyes of UNHCR officer who laughed carelessly while chanting faintly in Swahili- “WARYAA WAJINGA” which roughly translates “CRAZY SOMALI MAN!”.

“Shortly after that, I realized that UNHCR is no more than just a big lie, A BIG FREAKING BRAZEN FAT LIE” adds Mr.Abdi with quavering voice.

Another UNHCR  victim, “Mohamed” who used to be influential journalist back in Mogadishu and still retains his strong and charismatic voice adds ruefully;”I’ve got my UNHCR Mandate paper recently, and since then I’m regular visitor to the UNHCR Protection office to address my other problems which mainly spins around insecurity issues, the protection staff are more like commercial bank cashers, they avoid engaging in any direct conversation with you, as if you were infected with leprosy, they actually hide behind thick layer of glass with small aperture to pass written complain letters which then apparently collected in Huge sacks and perhaps used to cook “UGAALI” – a popular Kenyan traditional dish, or maybe  as rumored in EastLiegh –the letters are used as cheap toilette papers; after its competitive cleaning advantages have been discovered by UNHCR brilliant minds”. Adds Mohamed.

“ The Protection office problems are not limited only by its staff behavior and their odd characteristics ,but more importantly, the fact that ;there are literally no respect for personal privacy as if the refugees are emotionless, senseless inhuman beings, to give an obvious example , the protection officer usually sits behind a think layer of glass, and can roughly hear you only when you rise your voice loudly , now, considering the level of sensitivity associated with the refugee protection claims specially when it comes to reporting sexual related matters (ie. Rape, child molestation, sexual harassment..Etc), or protection claims based on insecurity or sophisticated political conditions, its totally unacceptable that personal privacy is not regarded as one of the UNHCR priorities” continues Mohamed.

Finally, The Somali Exiled journalists in Kenya urge the UNHCR to adopt corrective policies with strict rules and mechanisms to ensure the rights of Somali refugees particularly the exiled journalists are fully protected, it’s very obvious that some of the UNHCR staff is dealing with the refugees particularly Somali refugees in a manner that is way far from the international humanitarian norms, and its cristal clear that something ought to be done to restore the refugee community’s  confidence in this crucial International organization.

By: ABDI    [email protected] , [email protected]