Addressing the Humanitarian Crisis on the Kenya/Somalia Border
Hundreds of thousands of Somali refugees will face a humanitarian emergency this year, unless urgent steps are taken to deal with a serious public health crisis unfolding in the Dadaab refugee camp in northern Kenya, international agency Oxfam warned in a new report issued today.
The Kenyan government, international donors and aid agencies must all immediately take action to address the crisis, Oxfam said.
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. Up to 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.
A new Oxfam assessment of the humanitarian situation in the camp has 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 found.
Publication Date:
27 March 2009 
