LGBT refugees reportedly attacked

Forty LGBT refugees in northwestern Kenya's sprawling Kakuma refugee camp have pleaded with the UN to relocate them to a safer place, saying they had suffered violent attacks. The refugees who are from Uganda, Burundi and the DRC said they were targeted in two homophobic attacks by other refugees over the past month. The Thomson Reuters Foundation said 15 victims were injured and some had to be treated in hospital. The UNHCR's regional spokesperson Dana Hughes said there was no reason to relocate the refugees. 'Incidents of shelter vandalism were reported to law enforcement authorities in December. However these attacks were found to be attributed to common petty criminality and were not targeted at any particular individuals,' said Hughes.