UNHCR must learn when to concede that it alone cannot be successful in the battles that must be fought with governments to ensure that refugee protection is ensured. The refugee camps along Guinea's border with Sierra Leone have been located too close to the border for far too long. The cross-border attacks have led to a security situation where access to the refugees is limited, resulting in the inadequate protection and assistance for the refugees. Yet such a situation might have been avoid...read more
UNHCR must learn when to concede that it alone cannot be successful in the battles that must be fought with governments to ensure that refugee protection is ensured. The refugee camps along Guinea's border with Sierra Leone have been located too close to the border for far too long. The cross-border attacks have led to a security situation where access to the refugees is limited, resulting in the inadequate protection and assistance for the refugees. Yet such a situation might have been avoided if UNHCR had effectively engaged its partners at an earlier stage to lobby and pressure the Guinean government.
