The office of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees (UNHCR) yesterday donated medical supplies to the Ministry of
Health and Social Welfare.
The presentation of the items was held at the Gambia Food and Nutrition Association (GAFNA) office in Bakau.
Speaking on the occasion, Sekou K. Saho, head of UNHCR office in The Gambia, said his office is not oblivious of the great sacrifice the government and the people of The Gambia are making to host and share their meagre resources with the refugees.
He noted that refugees in The Gambia have been enjoying access to basic services like health, at the same fees as their Gambian host.
“In The Gambia, refugees live with the people in villages, towns and cities throughout the country but the majority of them live in the Greater Banjul Area and the rural area of Foni,” Mr Saho said.“They enjoy the freedom to move and settle freely in the country also they enjoy the liberty to exercise their trade and other economic activities.”
He said the UNHCR and partners are immensely grateful to the Gambian authority for their “exceptional generosity” to one of the most vulnerable people in the world - the refugees.
Mr Saho said it is in recognition and appreciation of the efforts of the Gambian authorities that the UNHCR felt it is necessary to make “this modest contribution” to the health facilities of the country, especially to those that receive and treat refugees in Greater Banjul Area and in the rural area of Foni.
For his part, Health Minister Omar Sey thanked the donors for the gesture, pointing out that there is no discrimination in the health system.
