Somali refugees in Dadaab camp carry their sick and malnourished children to a new feeding centre run by MSF at the outskirts of the sprawling refugee camp.
As the announced closure of the world’s largest refugee camp draws closer, and thousands begin the return to war-ravaged Somalia,[1] MSF is calling for other alternatives to be urgently considered by the Government of Kenya and the UNHCR, supported by donor countries.
In a report released today by MSF, Dadaab to Somalia: Pushed Back Into Peril, more than eight out of ten refugees surveyed say they do not want to return, with the main concerns cited including fear of forced recruitment into armed groups, sexual violence and the non-availability of healthcare. [2]
In the report, MSF also highlights the severe medical consequences of such a massive return.
“It is clear that refugee camps are not the best way to manage a protracted 25-year crisis, but closing them now without offering other durable solutions pushes people back to a conflict zone, where medical care is dangerously absent,” says Bruno Jochum, MSF General Director. “This decision is yet another blight on refugee protection globally, where again we see a total failure to provide safe haven for people in danger. The UN itself has recently declared that five million people are at risk of hunger inside Somalia. Sending back even more people to suffer is both inhumane and irresponsible.”