In the queue

Kenya has become an oasis for refugees and asylum seekers from war torn countries throughout northeastern Africa. This article describes the difficulties and delays faced by refugees and by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Nairobi in resettling an estimated 250,000 people in Kenyan refugee camps and accommodation centres. The difficulties were starkly highlighted by an attack on a Rwandan family in April 2002 which left a woman injured and her two sons dead. The family, who was related to a former Rwandan president, was about to be resettled in Australia after waiting in Nairobi for 11 months. African UNHCR offices are disadvantaged by an imbalance between need and resourcing. Lack of support from the Kenyan Government is another obstacle for the UNHCR's Nairobi office. The article calls for increased support for UNHCR from Western countries and for an increased refugee and humanitarian intake in Australia.