Where is dadaab refugee complex located

However, animosity between Dadaab refugees and local Kenyans has also developed, particularly over the management of scarce resources. Access to water, land use for business, and firewood is a specific source of collision between the two communities, with the ever-growing refugee population utilising the goods in ways that are not sustainable.

During times of drought, this tension is exacerbated by aid disbursement to refugees that outweighs assistance to local communities. Unequal access to resources has motivated an estimated 40, Kenyans to register fraudulently as refugees.

Security has also been a growing concern for Kenya, which has been directly engaged in combating Al-Shabaab in Somalia. Insecurity has hindered the operation of aid agencies in Dadaab complex. As result of this, the movement of aid agencies within Dadaab Camps is restricted and requires increased security such as escorts by armed vehicles.

As of , there are 19 primary schools and 7 secondary schools.. Although secondary education is important, primary schooling is a priority for donor agencies. Although primary school education has been a priority for donor agencies there are still challenges of overcrowded classrooms. Those who get this rare chance to pursue high school education in Dadaab are most of them determined to finish their 4-year period. Until last year with implementation of the BHER there were no opportunities for higher education.

People in Dadaab refugee camps consider education as the only tool to combat and eradicate any kind of obstacle in life. They believe that if higher education is brought to Dadaab it will liberate them from the dark and give them hope.

Students in Dadaab have the courage to compete favourably with all students in the hosting nation, Kenya. Bringing university education to Dadaab will relieve the Dadaab refugee population of the need to travel and get access to quality education from the interior of Kenya.

With higher education in Dadaab these hardships can be averted. Why do they exist? The Lost Boys of Sudan were a group of young boys who fled from southern Sudan, first to Ethiopia, and then eventually settled in what is now known as Kakuma.

In addition, large groups of Ethiopian refugees left their country following the fall of the Ethiopian government and most of them also settled in Kakuma Refugee Camp. The majority of the people from Somalia settled in the Dadaab refugee complex , which is geographically closer to Somalia. The populations of both camps have grown rapidly in recent years, and today, Kakuma and Dadaab together host more than , refugees and asylum seekers from more than ten different countries.

Most refugees and asylum seekers are from neighbouring South Sudan and Somalia, as well as countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Apart from being safe havens for people forcibly displaced from their countries as a result of persecution, human rights violations, and armed conflict, Kakuma and Dadaab are economic hubs.

Located in the north-western region of Kenya, the Kakuma market is booming and busy every day. Refugee entrepreneurs help the market to flourish and they are rapidly growing the camp's vibrant economy. Refugees are not simply passive consumers of aid.

Instead, they are actively involved in the local economy with more than 2, businesses in Kakuma Refugee Camp and more than shops in Kakuma town. This means that refugees are pumping millions annually into the local economy and, most importantly, the camp is open to outside investment. Each of the Dadaab camps has its own market and market characteristics; together, these camps form a vibrant and diverse market where both host and refugee community members provide and purchase a variety of goods and services.

News reports point out that, since at least , insecurity is the Kenyan government's common, publicly-stated reason for closing these year-old camps. For example, Reuters notes that "Authorities in Nairobi first announced their intention to shut the Dadaab camp back in , citing national security concerns over infiltration by militants from the Somalia-based Islamist group al Shabaab.

I am not well informed on the exact reasons why the Kenyan government wants to shut down both Kakuma and Dadaab but I am afraid that the whole idea of closing these camps is being politicized. In recent years, the Government of Kenya had been threatening to close down Dadaab and this year it added Kakuma to the chain.

As noted above, some observers point out that the Dadaab refugee camp has been used to recruit members of al-Shabaab. Do you think that the camps pose a threat to security in Kenya?

If not, why do you think that the Kenyan government has used this justification? Politicians around the world associate refugees and asylum seekers with all the bad characteristics that you could think of.

They are called things like terrorists, criminals, and rapists. This is actually not a new thing and Kenya is not the first country to use these terms. However, these claims are misleading. It is not a crime to flee your country and no one leaves their country by will. I am not a security expert and I'm not sure about the justification and reasoning used by the Government of Kenya in this context but I believe that the whole idea to close the camps is being politicized.

Austin Baboya, a South Sudanese year-old based in Kakuma, said he has not known any other home than a refugee camp. Case involving government plans to close Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps to return in courtroom in a month, reports say. Published On 29 Apr What does the call to close Dadaab refugee camp mean for its residents?

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