By Eric Akasa
One year since images of Somalis fleeing famine and conflict and pouring into
Dadaab captured the world’s attention, the largest refugee camp in the world is
facing a critical funding shortage which will affect at least 200,000 people if
$25m isn’t raised, a group of eight aid agencies said today. The agencies
called on the international community to rethink its approach to long-term
solutions for the camp, and warned that the gaps in aid could worsen insecurity
in the region.
Dadaab’s population increased by a third in the past year to over 465,000 people, and the needs in the camp are greater than ever before. Yet as global attention has shifted, funding for the camp has not kept pace. The impact of the funding shortfall, outlined in a new briefing paper, is already being felt by refugees across Dadaab and will get worse over the coming months: 130,000 refugees will soon be without adequate shelter, living in temporary tents that are quickly destroyed by the harsh climate. At the moment 30,000 new shelters are needed, yet funding is only available for 4,000,from September 2012, the supply of new water and sanitation services to 50,000 refugees is in danger. Without the only source of safe water and new latrines, the threat of cholera is greatly increased. health services are overcrowded and underequipped. In the Hagadera camp in Dadaab, two health units serve the needs of 78,000 people – quadruple the minimum emergency standard of 1 unit per 10,000 people. From October 2012, funding shortfalls mean there will be no community health workers in Hagadera camp among aother hardships.
Dadaab’s population increased by a third in the past year to over 465,000 people, and the needs in the camp are greater than ever before. Yet as global attention has shifted, funding for the camp has not kept pace. The impact of the funding shortfall, outlined in a new briefing paper, is already being felt by refugees across Dadaab and will get worse over the coming months: 130,000 refugees will soon be without adequate shelter, living in temporary tents that are quickly destroyed by the harsh climate. At the moment 30,000 new shelters are needed, yet funding is only available for 4,000,from September 2012, the supply of new water and sanitation services to 50,000 refugees is in danger. Without the only source of safe water and new latrines, the threat of cholera is greatly increased. health services are overcrowded and underequipped. In the Hagadera camp in Dadaab, two health units serve the needs of 78,000 people – quadruple the minimum emergency standard of 1 unit per 10,000 people. From October 2012, funding shortfalls mean there will be no community health workers in Hagadera camp among aother hardships.
“The funding shortfall means people who have fled
unimaginable suffering are not getting the care they need. As well as the human
cost, there is also a cost to security in the region. If children are not going
to school and if people do not have proper shelter and other services, this has
the potential to fuel further militarisation, violence and instability,” says
Stephen Vaughan, head of CARE Kenya.
Dadaab has been in existence for 20 years, and last year’s influx saw 160,000 Somalis arrive into the already severely overcrowded camps.
“Refugee camps are only temporary solutions and the situation is increasingly untenable. Funds are needed now to save lives, but we can’t keep pumping money in year after year while the camp keeps getting bigger. A change in approach is urgently needed. However, right now, the world has an obligation not to turn its back on Dadaab and the needs of the people there,” notes Nigel Tricks, head of Oxfam in Kenya.
The agencies called for a durable and peaceful solution in Somalia, so that refugees feel able to return home. The agencies also called for a long-term vision that creates employment and infrastructure to remove refugees’ dependence on short-term aid. With insecurity in the camp restricting access for aid agencies, more investment is needed to build the skills and capacity of refugee communities and local organisations to deliver services.
“Humanitarian workers in Dadaab have been working to full capacity under extremely difficult circumstances for the past year. We are committed to providing quality health care here, and supporting the protection of women and girls, but because of the funding shortfall it is likely that some basic services will be cut, leaving refugees more vulnerable,” points out Kellie Leeson, Deputy Regional Director of the International Rescue Committee.
Dadaab has been in existence for 20 years, and last year’s influx saw 160,000 Somalis arrive into the already severely overcrowded camps.
“Refugee camps are only temporary solutions and the situation is increasingly untenable. Funds are needed now to save lives, but we can’t keep pumping money in year after year while the camp keeps getting bigger. A change in approach is urgently needed. However, right now, the world has an obligation not to turn its back on Dadaab and the needs of the people there,” notes Nigel Tricks, head of Oxfam in Kenya.
The agencies called for a durable and peaceful solution in Somalia, so that refugees feel able to return home. The agencies also called for a long-term vision that creates employment and infrastructure to remove refugees’ dependence on short-term aid. With insecurity in the camp restricting access for aid agencies, more investment is needed to build the skills and capacity of refugee communities and local organisations to deliver services.
“Humanitarian workers in Dadaab have been working to full capacity under extremely difficult circumstances for the past year. We are committed to providing quality health care here, and supporting the protection of women and girls, but because of the funding shortfall it is likely that some basic services will be cut, leaving refugees more vulnerable,” points out Kellie Leeson, Deputy Regional Director of the International Rescue Committee.
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