• 2 comments
• Print
• Email
• Tweet
• Reset

Insecurity at the Dadaab refugee complex in Kenya's North Eastern Province is a major concern for those charged with the welfare of refugees, government and aid officials told Sabahi.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) spokesman for Kenya Emmanuel Nyabera said security fears have greatly affected the provision of medical and food aid to the more than 500,000 refugees in the complex comprised of Hagadera, Ifo, Ifo II and Dagahaley camps.

"Everyone from the refugees, aid workers, law enforcers and the host community is affected by criminal activities of the al-Shabaab militants and other criminal elements in the camps," Nyabera told Sabahi.

He said when aid workers are faced with the prospect of kidnappings, landmines and grenade attacks from the al-Qaeda-allied al-Shabaab movement, it affects morale at the camp.

Last year, al-Shabaab kidnapped three Doctors Without Borders aid workers in the camps. This was followed by a spate of landmine and grenade attacks that killed several Kenyan security officers and fatal shootings of some refugee leaders.

On June 15th, three people, including a woman refugee leader, were injured when an improvised explosive device went off at Ifo camp.

Nyabera said the indiscriminate attacks have spread fear in the camps and underscored the challenges of aid provision.

He said this year's World Refugee Day, marked on Wednesday (June 20th), was held amid a feeling of "uncertainty and fear" across Dadaab refugee complex.

World Refugee Day aims to bring international awareness to the plight of refugees and the situation in camps. This year's theme, "One person forced to flee is one too many", aims to highlight the circumstances that produce refugees and encourage ways to prevent them, he said.

"The day was marked in all the camps with cultural performances, but speaker after speaker lamented about the insecurity," he said.

Ensuring safety in the camps

However, Nyabera said UNHCR is working with Kenyan authorities to bring normalcy to the camps. He said UNHCR has donated vehicles to aid in police patrols and installed security communication equipment for quick response to security concerns.

Kenyan authorities told Sabahi that they are doing everything possible to ensure that everyone in the camps is safe.

Commanding officer of Dadaab police George Kingi said at least 10 planned attacks by suspected al-Shabaab members have been foiled in the past month. He said police officers have sacrificed their lives to restore order in the camps.

"It is our duty to maintain law and order and the refugee community has played their part in providing crucial information to neutralise crime," Kingi told Sabahi.

He said the sheer number of refugees in the camps represents a big security challenge, as some people with criminal intentions pose as refugees. Kingi said authorities are working with refugee community leaders to flush out frauds.

He said security patrols and intelligence gathering have been strengthened in the camps.

A refugee who spoke to Sabahi acknowledged the efforts made by security officers. Fatuma Hussein Ali, 47, who lives in Ifo camp, said refugees are vigilant against troublemakers.

"I am confident that, with the co-operation between the refugees and the security officers, al- Shabaab will be defeated," she said."It will be for the good of the refugees and for everyone in Dadaab."