Nairobi 11 July 2011 – Somalia’s beloved musical artist, Saado Ali Warsame, visited the world’s largest refugee camp Dadaab to bring hope to recent refugee arrivals from Somalia. While many of Somalia’s government leaders from every political region were traveling to other countries, the popular singer was with the people of Somalia who needed her voice. During her many speeches, many refugees were listening intently and hugging her for not forgetting them.

During a conversational exchange with UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterre , Saado Ali asked Guterre to define the plan for Somali refugees. Saado said, “We simply cannot keep building more refugee camps, Somalis need help inside of Somalia and money is not reaching the people its designed to help. Every NGO that helps Somalia is based in Nairobi and many people are rich off of money for Somalia!” Saado asked for more accountability from Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and where Somalia’s money is going.

Saado Ali Warsame urged Somali refugees to “keep hope alive that our country will return and the dignity of Somali people.”

As she sang the Somali national anthem, many refugees cried and sang along.

Saado Ali urged UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterre to allow U.S. Citizens to sponsor their families out of refugee camps. António Guterre agreed advocate the issue.

Somalia Refugee Awareness Project is urging U.S. Department of State to reopen the Priority Three or P-3 program to reunite Somali refugees from Dadaab and other refugee camps with their families in under the Affidavits of Relationship (AORs).

Hodan Nalayeh, Founder of the Somali Refugee Awareness Project, asked for Somali community organizations outside of Africa to start thinking about ways to help. “It’s hard to trust any organization that says they want to help Somalis in Nairobi, majority of them are not helping that’s why people are starving and living hopelessly in Kenya, if you want make difference, help the people who don’t get money from the outside or monthly bill, those are the most vulnerable,” Nalayeh stated.

Saado Ali Warsame became a household icon in 1975 as young girl and she has continued to influence Somalis with her music the past thirty-five years. Saado’s popularity is not only due to her magnificent voice, but her pro-unity stand for Somalis, political courage and bravery to speak for the disadvantaged. Although, she is thousand of miles away from her home beloved country of Somalia, the power of the Internet has helped Saado to reach millions of Somalis on YouTube and social network sites to unite Somalis. Her hit latest single, “Somaliweyn” or “United Somalia” describes passionate call for all Somalis to come together as one and stop the clan divisions.

Somali Refugee Awareness Project: An advocacy group designed to bring mainstream media attention and action on the current Somali refugee crisis in Africa. According to UNHCR, Somalia remains one of the countries generating the highest number of refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs) in the world. An estimated 1.4 million Somalis are displaced within the country while another 680,000 live as refugees in the neighboring countries. Some refugees have been in the same camps for 20 years and live in the worst overcrowding conditions. Action is needed to help Somali refugees resettle back to a peaceful Somalia.

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Media Contacts
Hodan Nalayeh
+254 (0) 70448 2449 (Nairobi)
+1-310-531-3002 (Los Angeles)
[email protected]

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