Goal to evacuate staff from Nairobi

Irish aid agency Goal, which works mainly in Nairoibi's slums, said today it has decided to evacuate all staff from the Kenyan…

Irish aid agency Goal, which works mainly in Nairoibi's slums, said today it has decided to evacuate all staff from the Kenyan capital city due to the worsening security crisis.

Goal chief executive officer John O'Shea warned the situation may deteriorate as the ethnic clashes intensify.

"We must put the safety of our workers before all other considerations," Mr O'Shea said. "Nairobi has become too dangerous in recent days."

Many Western governments have already warned citizens not to travel to the troubled East African country unless absolutely necessary.

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Hundreds of people have been killed in tribal clashes since President Mwai Kibaki was declared the winner of a presidential election last weekend.

Although Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern has stressed that no Irish citizens have been caught up in the violence in Kenya, his Department has set up a helpline for anyone concerned about the safety of relatives of friends in the country. The number is 1800 242 548.