Russia warns conflict refugees over safety
Thousands of refugees from the Russia-Georgia fighting this month are being told by Russian soldiers that their security cannot be guaranteed if they return to their homes, a United Nations agency said today.
UN High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR) spokeswoman Melita Sunjic said it is not clear if Russian soldiers are preventing refugees from returning, but the warnings effectively block them from going home.
Some 2,000 refugees are in UNHCR camps in Gori, and thousands of others may be in the region.
All hope to return to villages in the “security zones” Russia is claiming for itself. Many are now on Georgian territory south of the border with the separatist republic of South Ossetia.
