United States will admit a total of 40,000 refugees from Africa under its program in this current fiscal year, US representative to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield has revealed.
According to Thomas-Greenfield, this is double the number from the previous allocation back in 2001.
She has, however, termed this as a "drop in the bucket" considering the huge number of refugees fleeing their countries in search of safety and protection from the continent every year.
"By 1999, the allocation to Africa was 12,000 while in 2001 the number was 20,000," she stated.
The ambassador was speaking at the International Organization for Migration (IOM) offices in Nairobi when she met a group of refugees who are set to be relocated to the US.
They are from Ethiopia, DR Congo and South Sudan.
She also underscored the role played by the civil societies and Churches in helping vet the refugees received through the US embassies.
Recently the US announced a partnership with Welcome Corps, a new department of the State program that seeks to empower Americans to sponsor refugees.
“The service provides an opportunity for Americans to welcome refugees seeking freedom and safety and, in turn, make a difference in their own communities,” she noted.
“This is a proud moment for me and for all of us. And we are still leaning on civil society.”
The envoy said that they have put together a consortium of non-profit organizations with expertise in welcoming, resettling, and integrating refugees into the United States to offer expert guidance and support to Americans joining the Welcome Corps.
Thomas-Greenfield who has been on a tour of Africa has also visited Ghana and Mozambique.
In Kenya, she also held talks with President William Ruto and also visited the 1998 former US Bomb blast site at Cooperative Bank house which housed the US embassy.
Nicole Irungu, the Church World Service Africa’s Deputy Director for the resettlement support center said they have transferred 325,000 refugees from the region to the US.
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