In Search of Protection and Livelihoods
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IN SEARCH OF PROTECTION AND LIVELIHOODS Y S S A B M E H S I N A D L Socio-economic and A Y O R Environmental Impacts of Dadaab Refugee Camps on Host Communities September 2010 Republic of Kenya o O R R Y S S A B M E H S I N A D L A Y O Repub l ic o f Keny a R Acknowledgements The members of the study team are grateful to all those who sat on the Study Advisory Group and participated in developing the Terms of Reference, guided the research direction and offered their input to various draft reports. The leadership of Betina Gollander-Jensen at the Royal Danish Embassy in Nairobi, Siv Cathrine Moe at the Royal Norwegian Embassy and Peter Kusimba, Kenya’s Commissioner for Refugee Affairs, is especially acknowledged. The team members would also like to recognise the logistical support provided by the agencies working in and around Dadaab, particularly the Department of Refugee Affairs, the Kenya Red Cross Society, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Norwegian Refugee Council and, above all, the Danish Refugee Council. Finally, the generous participation of leaders and ordinary residents from Fafi, Lagdera and Wajir South in individual interviews and group discussions is the foundation on which the study findings rest, and without their inputs the work would simply not have been possible. Martin Enghoff Bente Hansen Abdi Umar Bjørn Gildestad Matthew Owen Alex Obara Photo credits: Martin Enghoff, Matthew Owen 2 Acknowledgements Contents Executive Summary ............................................................................................................... 7 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................13 1.1 Study Background ........................................................................................................................... 13 1.2 Objectives ....................................................................................................................................... 14 1.3 Defining the hosting area ................................................................................................................. 14 1.4 Methodology ................................................................................................................................... 15 1.4.1 Organisation ................................................................................................................................. 15 1.4.2 Approach ..................................................................................................................................... 16 1.4.3 Factors impacting choice of study methodology ........................................................................... 17 1.4.4 Study Limitations and Risks .......................................................................................................... 18 2. Background and Context ................................................................................................. 19 2.1 Location .......................................................................................................................................... 19 2.2 Topography and Climate .................................................................................................................. 19 2.3 Soils and Vegetation ........................................................................................................................ 20 2.4 Socio-economic Situation ................................................................................................................ 20 3. Study Findings .................................................................................................................. 20 3.1 Host community and host/refugee identities .................................................................................... 20 3.1.1 What are the local population dynamics? ...................................................................................... 20 3.1.2 Who is mobile and who is settled? ................................................................................................ 23 3.1.3 How are refugee and host community identities defined? ............................................................. 23 3.1.4 Clans, access and interaction – How related are the host and refugees? ...................................... 24 3.1.5 How many from the host community are registered as refugees? ................................................. 24 3.1.6 How do negotiations function between host and refugee stakeholders? ....................................... 25 3.1.7 What social interaction and local politics are at play? .................................................................... 25 3.1.8 What are the push, pull and deterrent factors in the host area? ..................................................... 26 3.1.9 Development processes, actors and initiatives in the host area ..................................................... 26 3.1.10 Development challenges in the host area .................................................................................... 29 3.2 Impacts on livelihoods, production and natural resource management............................................. 30 3.2.1 How do households diversify livelihoods and make a living? ......................................................... 30 3.2.2 What developments can be seen in pastoral production? ............................................................. 31 3.2.3 Who owns the livestock and how many? ...................................................................................... 32 3.2.4 How is grazing, browsing and land managed? .............................................................................. 33 3.2.5 What have been the experiences of farming?................................................................................ 34 3 3.2.6 What is the nature of firewood and building material collection? .................................................... 34 3.2.7 What is the significance of employment for host communities? ..................................................... 34 3.2.8 How is relief food reaching people? .............................................................................................. 35 3.3 Impacts on social infrastructure and services ................................................................................... 35 3.3.1 How is access to water and how has it changed? ........................................................................ 35 3.3.2 What is the status of education in the host area? .......................................................................... 36 3.3.3 How is access to health services and sanitation, and how has it changed? .................................. 36 3.3.4 How has access to transport changed? ....................................................................................... 37 Contents 3.3.5 What is the status of access to electricity and communication? .................................................... 37 3.3.6 How concentrated is access to social services? ........................................................................... 37 3.4 Impacts on social structures and institutions .................................................................................... 38 3.4.1 What are the impacts related to gender and age? ......................................................................... 38 3.4.2 How secure do host communities feel? ........................................................................................ 39 3.4.3 What development in leadership structures has taken place? ....................................................... 39 3.5 Economic impacts ........................................................................................................................... 39 3.5.1 What is the income from pastoral production? .............................................................................. 39 3.5.2 How are the food prices and what is the impact of subsidised food? ............................................ 40 3.5.3 What is the volume of trade and how does it impact on host area? .............................................. 42 3.5.4 How has trade in Dadaab town developed? ................................................................................. 44 3.5.5 What is the income from employment and remittances? ............................................................... 45 3.5.6 What is the economic impact of direct camp operations on the host area? ................................... 45 3.5.7 What is scale and nature of investments in camp operation and development? ............................ 46 3.5.8 How are economic impacts experienced by different wealth categories? ...................................... 47 3.5.9 What is the combined economic impact on the hosting area? ...................................................... 47 3.5.10 What are the impacts beyond the immediate hosting area? ........................................................ 49 3.6 Impacts on biomass ........................................................................................................................ 50 3.6.1 What is the impact of firewood collection? .................................................................................... 50 3.6.2 What is the impact of pole-wood harvesting? ............................................................................... 51 3.6.3 What is the impact