Assistance to refugees in Somalia: resolution / adopted by the General Assembly

A/RES/41/138

Assistance to refugees in Somalia

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolutions 35/180 of 15 December 1980, 36of 16 December 1981, 37/174 of 17 December 1982, 38/88 of 16 December 1983, 39/104 of 14 November 1984 and 40/132 of 13 December 1985 on the question of assistance to refugees in Somalia,

Taking note of the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on assistance to refugees in Somalia, in particular section IV of that report,

Also taking note of the report of the Secretary-General on assistance to refugees in Africa,

Deeply concerned about the heavy burden that has been placed on the fragile economy of Somalia by the continuing presence of large numbers of refugees,

Aware of the additional burden imposed by the new influx of refugees and the consequent urgent need for additional international assistance,

Concerned about the continuing and serious shortfalls in the provision of food assistance, which have resulted in dangerous ration restrictions, epidemics related to malnutrition, other shortages and extreme hardship in refugee camps in Somalia,

Concerned also that continuing funding difficulties have necessitated a reduction in normal activities, entailing reductions in staff and programmes, as well as the cancellation of some long-term agricultural projects,

Recognizing from the recommendations contained in the report of the High Commissioner that there remains an urgent need for increased assistance in the provision of food, water and medicines, in the areas of transport and logistics, shelter and domestic items, construction, the strengthening of health and educational facilities, and the expansion of the number of self-help schemes and small-scale farming and settlement projects necessary for the promotion of self-reliance among the refugees,

Conscious of the continued consequences of the social and economic burden placed on the Government and people of Somalia as a result of the continued presence of refugees and new refugee flows and the consequent impact on national development and the infrastructure of the country,

1. Takes note of the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees;

2. Commends the measures that the Government of Somalia is taking to provide material and humanitarian assistance to refugees, in spite of the limited resources and the fragile economy of Somalia;

3. Expresses its appreciation to the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for their continued efforts to mobilize international assistance on behalf of the refugees in Somalia;

4. Takes note with satisfaction of the assistance rendered to refugees in Somalia by various Member States, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the World Food Programme, the United Nations Children's Fund and other concerned intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations;

5. Appeals to Member States, international organizations and voluntary agencies to render maximum and timely material, financial and technical assistance to the Government of Somalia in its efforts to provide all necessary assistance to the refugees and to enable the Office of the High Commissioner to restore its original programmes to their normal scale;

6. Requests the Secretary-General, in co-operation with the Office of the High Commissioner, the United Nations Development Programme and other relevant United Nations agencies, to dispatch a high-level inter-agency mission to Somalia to review existing refugee programmes, taking into account the country's extremely limited resources and the burden that the presence of the refugees places on its economy and vital public services, and to prepare a comprehensive programme of assistance, combining both refugee-related humanitarian and developmental needs, for eventual submission to the international community;

7. Requests the High Commissioner, in consultation with the Secretary-General, to apprise the Economic and Social Council, at its second regular session of 1987, of the refugee situation in Somalia;

8. Also requests the High Commissioner, in consultation with the Secretary-General, to submit to the General Assembly at its forty-second session a report on the progress achieved in the implementation of the present resolution.