Dadaab is a semi-arid town in Garissa County, Kenya. It is the site of a large UNHCR base hosting 350,000 people in five camps as of May 2015. In 2013, the governments of Kenya and Somalia signed a tripartite agreement facilitating the repatriation of refugees at the complex. Dadaab is located approximately 100 kilometres (60 mi) from the Kenya-Somalia border. Until recently, the local population traditionally consisted of nomadic Somali camel and goat herders. The nearest major town is Garissa, which is the headquarters of the North Eastern Province.
Dadaab hosts people that have fled various conflicts in the larger Eastern Africa region. Most have come as a consequence of the civil war in southern Somalia, including both Somalis and members of Somalia's various ethnic minority groups such as the Bantu. Most of the latter have migrated from the southern Jubba Valley and the Gedo region, while the remainder have arrived from Kismayo, Mogadishu and Bardera.
The Dadaab camps (Ifo, Dagahaley, Hagadera) were constructed in 1992. Ifo camp was first settled by refugees from the civil war in Somalia, and later efforts were made by UNHCR to improve the camp. As the population expanded, UNHCR contacted German architect Werner Shellenberg who drew the original design for Dagahaley Camp and Swedish architect Per Iwansson who designed and initiated the creation of Hagadera camp. The camps are managed by the UNHCR, but other organizations are directly in charge of specific aspects of the refugees' lives. CARE oversees social services and the World Food Program (WFP) helps alleviate the food scarcity issues present at the camps. Until 2003, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) provided refugees with access to health care, but now German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) controls this aspect of refugee life in Dadaab.
In 2011, the drought in East Africa caused a dramatic surge in the camps' population.In July 2011, it was reported that more than 1000 people per day were arriving in dire need of assistance. The influx reportedly placed great strain on the base's resources, as the capacity of the camps was about 90,000 whereas the camps hosted 439,000 refugees in of July 2011 according to the UNHCR. The number was predicted to increase to 500,000 by the end of 2011 according to estimates from Médecins Sans Frontières. Those population figures ranked Dadaab as the largest refugee camp in the world.
According to the Lutheran World Federation, military operations in the conflict zones of southern Somalia and a scaling up of relief operations had by early December 2011 greatly reduced the movement of migrants into Dadaab. Rainfall had also surpassed expectations and rivers were flowing again, improving the prospects of a good harvest in early 2012.
By February 2012, aid agencies had shifted their emphasis to recovery efforts, including digging irrigation canals and distributing plant seeds. Long-term strategies by national governments in conjunction with development agencies are believed to offer the most sustainable results.
Shelter
Refugees in Dadaab typically live in tents, made of plastic sheeting and distributed by the UNHCR. Despite recent repatriation of some residents, the camps are still enormously overcrowded and contain over three times as many people as there was intended to be space for. There are no formal living structures, and residents have built makeshift homes for shelter and to escape the heat of the sun.
Malnutrition
One reason refugees arrive at the camps is displacement caused by famine. By the end of 2011, more than 25% of refugees living in the Dadaab camps had arrived as a result of the famine in the Horn of Africa. Individuals arriving under these conditions are already very malnourished, and once at the camps they still experience food scarcity. Although malnutrition contributes to high death rates among children, it has been observed that the longer an individual has already lived in Dadaab, the more their chance of dying from malnutrition decreases. Due to overcrowding and lack of resources, refugees don't receive their first food rations until 12 days after arrival, on average.
Health Care
Despite the efforts of GTZ to provide health care, the spread of infectious disease is still common among the camp settlements. Refugees living at the camp face numerous threats to their health, including diarrhea, pulmonary issues, and fever. Between June and October of 2011 an outbreak of measles caused many more deaths. Hepatitis E is also a constant threat, as the camps often have poor sanitary conditions and unclean water. In 2012, outbreaks of acute jaundice syndrome (AJS) and cholera simultaneously plagued the refugees in Dadaab.
Environmental Factors
Deforestation has an effect on the lives of Dadaab's residents. Despite typically being required to remain in the camp, residents often have to venture out in search of firewood and water. This leaves women and girls vulnerable to violence as they journey to and from the camp.
In 2006, flooding severely affected the region. More than 2,000 homes in the Ifo refugee camp were destroyed, forcing the relocation of more than 10,000 refugees. The sole access road to the camp and to the town was also cut off by the floods, effectively cutting off the town and refugee camps from essential supplies. Humanitarian agencies present in the area worked together to bring vital goods to the area. This effort resulted in the creation of the Ifo 2 camp extension in 2007 by the Norwegian Refugee Council. However, legal problems with the Kenyan Government prevented Ifo 2 from fully opening for resettlement until 2011.
In 2011, the drought in East Africa caused a dramatic surge in the camps' population.
Economic and Legal Status
Women distributing water at the base.
Public perception in Kenya is that refugees cause a strain on the economy, but at least one study argues that they are actually economically self-sufficient for the most part. Refugees are not protected by the Government of Kenya (GOK), contributing to the dangerous living conditions and outbreaks of violence. Because they are not protected under the law, they are constantly at risk for arrest.
In order to try to further increase the economic independence of refugees living in Dadaab, CARE has initiated microfinance programs, which are particularly important for encouraging women to start their own businesses. Additionally, CARE is working to create more inclusive markets that refugees are able to participate in to profit off of their newly acquired skills and business ventures.
UNHCR Resources
Dadaab features a UNHCR base that serves refugee camps around the town: Hagadera, Ifo Dagahaley and Kambios. The international humanitarian organization CARE is UNHCR's lead implementing partner responsible for managing the camp. Much of the town's economy is centered on services for the base's residents. The camps cover a total area of 50 square kilometres and are within an 18 km radius of Dadaab town. As of May 2015, the base is the fourth largest population center in the country, and its five camps collectively constitute the world's largest refugee settlement.
With camps filled to capacity, NGOs have worked to improve camp conditions. However, as most urban planners frequently lack the tools to contend with such complex issues, there have been few innovations to improve Dadaab. Opportunities remain such as upgrading and expansion processes for communications infrastructure, environmental management and design.
Leaving Dadaab
In November 2013, the Foreign Ministries of Somalia and Kenya and the UNHCR signed a tripartite agreement in Mogadishu paving the way for the voluntary repatriation of Somalian nationals living in Dadaab. Both governments also agreed to form a repatriation commission to coordinate the return of the refugees. By February 2014, around 80,000 to 100,000 residents had voluntarily repatriated to Somalia, significantly decreasing the base's population. According to the UNHCR, the center hosted 350,000 people as of mid-2015.
80% of residents were women and children and 95% were Somalian nationals.Over 2,000 of the individuals had returned to the Luuq, Baidoa and Kismayo districts in southern Somalia under the repatriation project. However, the majority of the returnees had instead repatriated independently. Following the Garissa University College attack in April 2015, which had resulted in 147 deaths, the Kenyan government asked the UNHCR to repatriate the remaining refugees to a designated area in Somalia within three months.
The Federal Government of Somalia and UNHCR later confirmed that the repatriation would continue to be voluntary in accordance with the tripartite agreement, and that eight districts in Somalia from where most of the individuals had come had officially been designated as safe for repatriation. The three-month ultimatum passed without Dadaab being closed; on 5 August 2015, the first group of 116 persons voluntarily returned to Somalia.
Some individuals have reported that the anxiety caused by the government repeatedly threatening to shut down the camps is enough to convince them to leave. Without job availability or reliable access to food, greater opportunities exist for some outside of Dadaab.
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