(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) By Arwa Al-Wagayan
TUNIS, Sept 26 (KUNA) -- The refugee crisis in the Arab World, caused by conflicts in the region, is still an international concern, due to the worsening humanitarian conditions facing these refugees.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is still exerting great efforts to ease the suffering of refugees and support countries sheltering them, especially states with limited financial abilities such as Tunisia.
UNHCR works on enabling refugees to fit into and settle in their hosting countries, the UNHCR's Public Information and Communications officer Mohammed Abu Asaker told KUNA on Tuesday.
This step is only possible in member-countries of the UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, signed in Geneva in 1951, he added.
UNHCR's main target is to find a temporary solution to end the refugees' suffering, said Abu Asaker. This means fully relocating them in their new homes and provide them with a better life until they are no longer labelled as "refugees", he explained.
Only one percent out of 23 million refugees are accepted by governments of member-countries, said the UN official. He added that the number of refugees in the Middle East is growing, leading figures to reach 66 million refugees and displaced people around the world.
On his part, head of the partnership program between UNHCR and the Tunisian Red Crescent (IFRC) Wajdi bin Mohammad noted that the program aims to protect 638 refugees in Tunisia's urban areas.
The program provides shelter, financial aid and medical care, while it also monitors educational conditions for these refugees, he said.
In the same context, a refugee from Central Africa, who fled to Tunisia to escape the violence in his country, said that his biggest problem is finding a decent job. He added that he is a farmer and whatever little money he gains is spent on food and transportation.
Another refugee from Sudan said he fled to Libya at first due to the worsening humanitarian conditions in his country. He noted that he had to leave to Tunisia as conflict broke out in Libya in 2011, despite having a good life in there.
UNHCR was established in 1950 and had helped about 50 million people around the world. The commissioner was awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1954 and 1981 in appreciation of its huge role in aiding and protecting refugees of all nationalities. (end) akw.kns.ag
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