Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Refugees at Ifo refugee camp in Dadaab, North Eastern are counting losses after their main market was burnt down in a mysterious fire incident.
The fire broke out at Kosovo market, which is the main center at the refugee camp on Monday night and burnt down several structures.
Police said no one was injured in the incident but the refugees lost their valuables. Garisa County head of CID Musa Yego said they are yet to know what caused the fire.
“Many structures were burnt down in the incident and we are yet to know what caused it. Fortunately no injury was reported,” said Yego. The fire broke out ahead of the planned repatriation of refugees to Somalia beginning January 2014.
According to the UNHCR’s data, there are 474, 483 Somali refugees residing in Kenya. In the five camps that make up the Dadaab refugee camp complex in north-eastern Kenya, there are more than 388, 000 Somali refugees.
There are 54, 000 Somali refugees in Kakuma camp in north-western Kenya and 32, 500 living in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.
Interior cabinet secretary Joseph ole Lenku announced there will be no turning back in the planned repatriation. He also directed NGOs working in the area to move their services into Somalia to enable the returning refugees go on with their lives.
"There is no turning back. It is time to say goodbye and wish you the best as you go back home. Go and help your country rebuild," said Lenku.
Lenku also directed for the scaling down of the construction of structures in the area ahead of the repatriation process. “We urge the agencies to move those programs to safer areas in Somalia. Permanent structures should also be scaled down,” he said.
He said before Kenya, Somalia and UNHCR had considered many issues before they signed a tripartite agreement up start sending back the refugees.
Kenya, Somalia and UNHCR had signed an agreement of repatriating the refugees to safe areas. But the refugees said they are aware Somalia is not safe and can't return as they pleaded for more time.
The government has said the continued hosting of Somali refugees now comes at too high a cost given the spike in terror attacks on Kenya.
In a tripartite agreement signed between the governments of Kenya and Somalia and the UN refugee agencies, it was agreed that the return of the refugees would be on a voluntary basis.
Source: Standard Digital