Saturday, March 28, 2009
Oxfam, in a newly published report, called on the Kenyan government, international donors and aid agencies to immediately take action to address the crisis.
Dadaab is one of the world's largest concentrations of refugees. Its population now stands at more than 250,000, almost three times its intended size.
Oxfam said about 100,000 more people are likely to arrive by the end of this year, as Somalis continue to flee violence and seek refuge in Kenya.
"Conditions in Dadaab are dire and need immediate attention. People are not getting the aid they are entitled to," said Philippa Crosland-Taylor, head of Oxfam GB in Kenya.
"Half of the people in the camp do not have access to enough water. Women and children -- who make up over half Dadaab's population -- very rarely have access to adequate latrines," said the official.
The global aid agency said an assessment of the camp had uncovered "a serious public health crisis caused by a lack of basic services, severe overcrowding and a chronic lack of funding."
More than 20 cases of cholera have been confirmed. Kenya recently closed its border with Somalia, yet refugees continue to arrive daily and the border closure is actually exacerbating the crisis, the report said.
Oxfam asked the Kenyan government to re-open the Kenya-Somalia border, and provide additional land near Dadaab for a new site to ease the overcrowding.
It also urged the international donor governments to urgently respond to the UNHCR's appeals for more funding to deal with the crisis;
"The UN and aid agencies should ensure that recent increased efforts to address the crisis are sustained, and that local Kenyan communities near Dadaab are not neglected," the aid agency said in the report.
It said the Kenyan government's decision to close the border has not stopped refugees coming -- but it has made conditions much worse for them and their Kenyan neighbors, adding to health risks in the camp.
According to Oxfam, reception centers on the border run by the UNHCR used to give health checks to new refugees.
"However, as a result of the border closure, these centers were closed down, meaning new arrivals no longer receive the health checks before reaching the camp. In such overcrowded conditions, even a single case of cholera can spread rapidly," it warned.
Somalia has not had a central government for many years and some of its nationals have been fleeing fighting in recent days.
"Until there is a lasting peace in Somalia, many more people will continue to flee. The Kenyan government must address this humanitarian crisis, rather than ignoring it," Crosland-Taylor said.
"An open but managed border will allow Kenya to meet its legitimate security concerns, but also allow refugees to receive the assistance to which they are entitled under international law."
Oxfam said the situation in Dadaab has led to increased tensions between Somali refugees and the local Kenyan community, particularly over rights to land and resources such as water and trees.
"Dadaab is in a very poor region and the needs of the local communities must not be forgotten. More funds are needed for aid agencies to help local people as well as refugees," Crosland-Taylor said.
"Scarce natural resources have to be shared by everyone, and projects are needed to explore alternative technologies and ways of ensuring that those resources are managed in an equitable and sustainable way," it added.
Dadaab's refugees in northern Kenya live in shacks made from branches and plastic sheeting in one of the world's largest refugee camps.
Source: Xinhua, March 28, 2009