Friday October 21, 2016
Cape Town - As the closure of the world's largest refugee camp, Dadaab, draws ever near, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has called upon the Kenyan Government as well as the UNHCR to urgently consider alternative arrangements.
Dadaab, which has been home to 277 000 refugees from Somalia, Ethiopia and Sudan for 25 years, faces imminent closure on 30 November, with MSF maintaining that the move would leave the refugees desolate and without protection. "The fears that the refugees tell us about are real," said Liesbeth Aelbrecht, Head of Mission for MSF in Kenya.
"It is crucial that any return is voluntary, and refugees must have all necessary information about the services and conditions that will meet them in Somalia."
A report released by the group recently, revealed that at least eight out of 10 refugees indicated that they did not want to return to their home states, citing among other concerns, forced recruitment, sexual violence and lack of healthcare as their main concerns.
"This decision is yet another blight on refugee protection globally, where again we see a total failure to provide safe haven for people on danger. The UN itself has recently declared that five million people are at risk o hunger inside Somalia. Sending back even more people to suffer is both inhumane and irresponsible," says Bruno Jochum, MSF General Director.