Dutch Development Cooperation Minister Bert Koenders said his visit to the refugees camp in Kharaz in Lahj, south of Yemen, came to check the situation of Somali refugees and discuss the possibility of moving Somali refugees in Yemen to another country.

Koenders has criticized during his visit to Kharaz refuge for Somalis behaviors of security personnel, but he has not explained what kind of behaviors.

During his visit, Koenders has been received by Somali women refugees holding their arms crossed above their heads as sign they are being held prisoner in the camp. Minister Bert Koenders is shocked by what he finds. “It is clear that those refugees came to Yemen in risky trips through the see where many refugees lost their lives before getting to Yemen. In fact, caring refugees here needs great efforts”, Koenders told Al-Ayyam daily. He has praised efforts of Yemen to host this number of refugees, but criticized what he said “behavior of security personnel” in Kharaz camp. “We will have friendly talks with Yemeni officials on this topic”, he said.

Noteworthy, the Kharaz camp’s clinic is closed as employees, Yemeni and Somalis, have gone through strike since three months protesting to the delay of paying them salaries for three months.

The number of refugees officially recorded in the impoverished Yemen is no fewer than 13,976 Somalis and at least 11,727 Ethiopian who arrived on Yemeni shores last year. In total an estimated 95,000 refugees were present in Yemen at the end of December 2006, ReliefWeb said.