Djibouti considers specialized education for refugee children

Djibouti’s Minister of National Education and Professional Training (MENFOP), Moustapha Mohamed Mahamoud met with Ambassador Mohamed Abdi Affey, UNHCR’s Special Envoy on the Somali refugee situation, together with UNHCR Representative, Paul Ndaitouroum.

The meeting was held in the presence of the Secretary General ad interim of the MENFOP, Abdoulkader Houmed and the technical consultant, Isman Ibrahim, to discuss the situation of refugees in Djibouti and to take into account the education of refugee children in the camps of Djibouti.

The Minister and the Ambassador reviewed strategies and projects which could offer primary education to children in the refugee camps. The UNHCR Special Envoy expressed specific interest in establishing special schools adapted to the needs of refugee children. Hence, facilitating education procedures for refugee children in the camps as well as elaborating specially adapted teaching programmes, were among the issues discussed.

According to the Special Envoy, UNHCR is committed to provide technical and logistic support to MENFOP which is committed to institutionalize and formalize the education and training of refugee children in the camps. The Minister and Ambassador Affey described the meeting as a privileged moment that has laid the foundations for a strong cooperation for the benefit of refugee children hosted in Djibouti’s camps.

Ambassador Affey was on his first visit to Djibouti in his capacity as UNHCR’s Special Envoy for the Somali refugee situation.

–  END –