Mogadishu 23, May 2007 - Talks are going on between Kenya and international agencies to have genuine asylum seekers from Somalia allowed into the country.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said the living conditions of the asylum seekers were getting worse due to diseases and lack of basic necessities like water.

It was not easy to estimate the number of Somali citizens trapped in border towns as they await clearance to enter Kenya, UNHCR spokesperson Emmanuel Nyaberi said yesterday.

"Discussions are going on with the Government to look into the security situation and have genuine refugees come to Kenya where they can be assisted," he said.

Food and medicine

Speaking to the Nation by telephone, Mr Nyaberi said humanitarian aid, including food and medicine, was being taken to areas within Somalia where thousands of displaced people are camping.
There are between 4,000 and 7,000 asylum seekers camping at Doble, a small town near the border.

"The final word will still have to come from the Kenyan Government whether some of the asylum seekers will be allowed in because the Kenya-Somalia border is still closed," Mr Nyaberi said.

Source: The Nation