The world’s biggest refugee camp is full
By Dennis Otim
13th June 2011: Dadaab, an umbrella refugee complex comprising of three separate camps of Dagahaley, Hagadera and Ifo in north eastern Kenya, has run out of space, causing a “humanitarian emergency”, Doctors without Borders has warned.
In a report titled ‘No Way in: The biggest refugee camp in the world is full’, the organisation said the population at the Kenyan camp, which consists mostly of malnourished families fleeing violence in the neighbouring war- and drought-stricken Somalia, has climbed to 350,000 and is estimated to swell to 450,000 over 2011.
Somali refugees at their camp in Dadaab
Humanitarian organizations cannot afford to get relief into Somalia, because it has been involved in a civil war since 1991. Dadaab is run by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
“…The families are headed for the refugee camps of Dadaab but the three camps in the Dadaab area are already full and there is nowhere for them to stay”, the organization warned, adding that the arriving refugees have to wait for an average of 12 days to receive their first food ration, and 34 days to get cooking utensils and blankets from the UN refugee agency.
“…It’s very unsafe here – at night we’re scared that wild animals will eat the children, and we’ve had threats of violence from local people who say the land is theirs. Children are even being killed by hyenas because they have no protection”, said Fatima, a 34-year-old refugee from Mogadishu who was quoted in the report.
The Kenyan government closed its border with Somalia citing security concerns. END. Please login to www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories and anytime mid-week for our news updates.
