“This is the result of team work at its best with UNHCR and the Government playing superb leadership role,” said Ambassador Hisham Badr of Egypt who is also the Chairman of UNHCR’s Executive Committee (ExCom).

He made the statement after visiting southeast Ethiopia’s Kobe refugee camp on Sunday (September 25, 2011). Ambassador Badr’s visit comes ahead of the annual meeting of UNHCR’s Executive Committee scheduled for the first week of October. He said the visit, which will also take him to the Dadaab refugee complex in Kenya, will equip him with information and experience to share with members of the Executive Committee.

According to UNHCR In his first leg of a two-day visit to Ethiopia, Ambassador Badr saw children smiling and playing – in stark contrast to the scenes at Kobe just weeks ago when mortality rates among new arrivals were alarmingly high.

“Nonetheless warned that the crisis is far from being over and called upon the international community to continue supporting UNHCR and the government of Ethiopia in managing the Somali refugee emergency. “ UNHCR Stated.

“Kobe, one of four refugee camps in the Dollo Ado complex with 25,600 refugees, experienced its worst mortality rates in July with up to 10 children dying every day,” according UNHCR Ethiopia office.

“My message to the international community is two-fold: One, side by side with supporting UNHCR to support the refugees, the international community must seek a durable solution to the Somali refugee crisis through a political process; Two, the international community must realize that refugee-hosting countries are actually the greatest donors giving whatever they have.

Ambassador Badr’, highlighted the example of Ethiopia where some 250,000 refugees are hosted in 15 different camps.

The 85 members governing Executive Committee of UNHCR's meets in Geneva annually to review and approve the organization’s programmes and budget, advise on international protection and discuss other issues with UNHCR and its intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. ExCom's Standing Committee meets several times each year to carry on the body's work between plenary sessions.

Of the more than 124,200 refugees in the four refugee camps at Dollo Ado, 83,800 have arrived this year. Two of the four camps were established in June and August to accommodate new arrivals.