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Why Dadaab refugee camp will not be closed anytime soon?

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An aerial view of Dadaab refugee camp, (courtesy)

DADAAB—The United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) has voluntarily repatriated a total of 254,811 in the last seven years.

The number of refugees has significntly reduced from 466,683 in 2011 to 208,871 individuals as at June 2018 due to spontaneous returns as well as voluntary return to Somalia, officials at UNHCRN have recorded a slower repatriation process for the last one year.

The repatriation to Mogadishu and Kismayu was mainly done by air after the use of buses was suspended due to poor roads occasioned by heavy floods along Dadaab-Liboi-Dhobley road.

Fardowsa Adow Mohamed has not known any other home apart from Hagadera refugee camp since she arrived from Somalia where she was born.

The 28-year-old woman started her early childhood education at Hagadera where she also did her primary and secondary school exams and despite difficulties and lack of opportunities, she managed to do well.

“I have studied Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) in college where I started with a certificate course and followed by diploma. I am now waiting for my diploma certificate,” she said.

Speaking during a Refugee market day in Dadaab town, head of operations in the UNHCR Dadaab Sub-office Jean Bosco Rushatsi said another 4,949 non Somali refugees have been relocated to Kalobeyei in Kakuma camp.

“UNHCR is only facilitating their movement for those willing to go back. Some areas are not safe yet. Efforts to rehabilitate basic services such as water, sanitation shelter, land, health and education are limited. This is why some refugees are still reluctant to go back,”  Jean stated.

Halima Mahat a Somali bantu who came to the camp in 2004 and sells vegetable including kales, eggplant, pumpkin, sugar cane, tomato, amongst other items said the health and education standards in Somalia cannot be compared to that of Kenya.

She added that her children are schooling in Kenya and the small business she is doing was to cater for their schools fees.

In the three camps of Hagadera, Ifo and Dagahley, hundreds of refugees converged Wednesday to mark World Refugee Day and called for more assistance from the international community.

 

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