Friday, July 29, 2011
advertisements
As the worst drought in 60 years grips East Africa, the conflict in Somalia conspires to create a deadly cocktail.Crossing the harsh Somali landscape to reach Dadaab, refugee camp in Kenya is no easy task.
[Ali Ibrahim, Somali Refugee]:
"This is the hardest journey I have ever done. I spent 17 days on the road with my 12 children, but thank God we made it. I have just been given a tent by an organization here."
Al Qaeda affiliated rebels refuse to allow food aid convoys in famine-stricken Somalia. The population has no choice but to seek refuge in neighboring Kenya.
As livestock die of malnutrition or are taken by rebel soldiers, hundreds of thousands of Somalis see the UN refugee camp as the only way to keep their families alive.
[Abdi Hassan, Somali Refugee]:
"There is nobody left where I came from, there is serious famine, drought and conflict. All our animals died and we have nothing left back there. I do not mind what I have here right now, I just need a tent for my family."
UNHCR officer Emmanuel Nyabera says his organization has to move fast to keep up with the growing numbers.
[Emmanuel Nyabera, Information Officer, UNHCR]:
''Most of the refugees who are coming here from Somalia are mostly women and children. They come in very, very tired. Some of them are very sick and we make sure that at least we are able to settle them here in a dignified manner. In the three camps in Dadaab, we have more than 400 thousand refugees. More than 300 thousand have been registered already, so the numbers are growing and that's why we're trying to move very fast to make sure that we don't congest the camp."
As the tragedy unfolds the area straddling Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia has been dubbed the "triangle of death."
The UN estimates some 12 million people are now affected by the crisis.