ICP
Asks UN's
Lazzarini of
Somalia,
Yemen,
Counter-Terrorism,
Somaliland,
Puntland
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, May 9
-- When the
UN's outgoing
humanitarian
coordinator
for Somalia
Philippe
Lazzarini held
a press
conference on
May 8, Inner
City Press
asked him
about the
impact of
money transfer
and remittance
being cut off,
about the
future of the
Dadaab refugee
camp in Kenya
-- and about
Puntland and
Somaliland,
where people
fleeing Yemen
are landing. Video here.
Lazzarini said
that
remittances
have been cut
from the UK,
US, Australia
and more
recently
Kenya; the
latter country
might
reinstate some
of the money
transfer
companies, he
said. Returns
to Somalia
from Dadaab
should be
voluntary.
In response to
Inner City
Press'
question about
the
involvement of
some parts of
the UN, and of
the
International
Organization
for Migration
in screening
refugees
including for
“counter-terrorism,”
Lazzarini said
that the
government of
Somalia is
concerned
about
returnees who
might have
joined certain
groups while
in Yemen. Can
you say, Al
Qaeda in the
Arabian
Peninsula?
There is more
transparency
needed,
however,
particularly
from IOM.
Lazzarini
has previously
answered
Inner City
Press about Somaliland's
airspace.
On May 8 when
Inner City
Press asked
about the UN's
dealings with
Somaliland and
Puntland, he
said it is a
big topic, but
concretely the
deadly attack
on UNICEF in
Puntland means
one can no
longer say
Puntland more
safe than,
say,
Mogadishu. But
what about
Somaliland? We
will have more
on this.
Lazzarini is
headed next to
Lebanon; we'll
continue to
cover his and
the UN's work
there, and
wish him luck.
, 
