Refugees in Kenya
There were approximately 193,800 refugees in UNHCR camps in Kenya at the end of June. The majority of these are Somalis and Sudanese, but there are also approximately 5,000 Ethiopians. The camps are in two areas: Kakuma near the Sudanese border (camp population 79,400) and Dadaab, near the Somalian border (camp population 114,410). There has been an increase in the number of Sudanese refugees, fleeing fighting in the south of their country, over the reporting period. In Kakuma a total of 3,600 new refugees were registered in June alone. There was also small increase in the number of Somalis. More recently the Kenyan Government has announced the closure of the border between Kenya and Somalia. UNHCR has reported that there was no "direct impact" of the closure on refugees because there has not been an influx of refugees since early June (IRIN - 24/08/99; UNHCR - 22/07/99).
The refugee camps are in semi-arid areas which are traditionally populated by pastoral nomads. The refugees face many barriers to self-reliance; there is little opportunity for food production, income generation or trade. Thus the refugees remain heavily reliant on the general ration provided by WFP and its donors (WFP -24/03/98).
Food Basket Monitoring in Dadaab Camps, Kenya
No reports of any change in the nutritional situation in the camps have been received. The most recent surveys (September 1998) reported a satisfactory situation. Food basket monitoring from Dadaab has shown that WFP continues to provide an adequate general ration to the population (see graph). The mean CMR in the refugee camps in June was 0.13/10,000/day and the under-five mortality rate was 0.60/10,000/day. The main causes of death were malaria and respiratory tract infections in all age groups (UNHCR - 22/07/99).
Overall, the nutritional situation of the refugees in Kenya remains non-critical (category IIc).
Priorities and Recommendations:
· Conduct a survey to assess the nutritional situation of the refugees in Kenya.
