UNHCR Emergency Assistance Programme for Somali Refugees in Dadaab, Kenya:

Bridging critical protection and assistance gaps of the existing Somali refugee population; construction of two camps to decongest the three camps in Dadaab, accommodation and provision of humanitarian assistance to new arrivals

January – December 2009

Somali Refugee women waiting for medical assistance for their sick children in Dadaab Refugee camp, Kenya. H. Caux/UNHCR

Background

Over the past years, Kenya has hosted Somali refugees from Mogadishu and the regions of , Jamame and . Following the closure of the Mombassa camps in 1997, the Somali refugees who did not repatriate were relocated to Dadaab and Kakuma camps. Since then, new arrivals continue to add to the existing refugee population in Dadaab. Despite the official closure of the Kenyan border with in early 2007, more than 60,000 people have crossed into Kenya throughout 2008. The Somali refugee influx is expected to continue in the coming months as a result of ongoing violence in Somalia, compounded by severe drought conditions, food insecurity and heavy floods.

The Somali unrest and displacement to Kenya is straining the resources of the Kenyan Government and humanitarian agencies. New arrivals are accommodated in camps in Dadaab (Dagahaley, Hagadera and Ifo) which host three times the number of people for which they were initially designed. Without a political resolution to the conflict in Somalia, the humanitarian situation will remain critical in Kenya, which currently hosts close to 250,000 Somali refugees. The Kenyan authorities, UNHCR and other UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs have been working closely to improve the general living conditions of Somali refugees, but the needs are enormous and the current level of funding is insufficient. Additional human and financial resources, beyond those originally foreseen in UNHCR’s Annual Programme Budget

1 for 2009, are required to meet minimum standards and provide essential services for the existing caseload as well as some 120,000 new arrivals expected through the coming year.

The total requirements for UNHCR’s humanitarian interventions in Dadaab amount to some US$91.5 millions out of which US$21.4 million is already included in UNHCR’s Global Appeal under the Annual Programme Budget. Under this Supplementary Appeal, UNHCR is seeking an additional US$ 70,149,109 to cover activities to improve the living conditions of the original Somali refugee population by bridging critical operational gaps, and the construction of two new camps for some 40,000 – 60,000 refugees. This will enable UNHCR to decongest the three overcrowded camps in Dadaab and provide emergency assistance to new arrivals.

This Appeal will absorb funding requirements for Somali refugees in Kenya included in the 2009 Somalia Situation Supplementary Programme.

Immediate humanitarian requirements include provision of protection and legal assistance; primary health care; water and sanitation services; shelter; basic non-food items; education; firewood; prevention and treatment of HIV and AIDS; and addressing the needs of people with specific needs.

Somali refugee children with special protection needs playing at Dagahaley transit centre. T.V. Meyerick/UNHCR

2 Programme at a glance

Emergency Assistance Programme for Somali Refugees in Dadaab, Kenya. Title

• Bridge identified operational gaps and unmet needs of the current Somali refugee population of well over 200,000 in Dadaab camps; Beneficiaries • Construction of two camps to host 40,000 - 60,000 each to decongest existing camps and to host newly arriving Somali refugees; • Provision of emergency assistance to 120,000 new arrivals in 2009.

Time frame January – December 2009 Total requirements USD 91,591,751

Main objectives

Bridging current operational gaps : Acute malnutrition, anaemia, poor sanitation, aged camp infrastructures, poor shelter and shortage of non- food items are posing a great challenge to UNHCR and the NGOs who work together to assist Somali refugees in Dadaab. UNHCR has undertaken a needs assessment exercise with a view to mobilize additional resources to address the unmet needs of the existing caseload living in substandard conditions in the three Dadaab camps. Additional resources are urgently required to improve critical sectors such as complementary and supplementary feeding, replacement of non-food items, construction and rehabilitation of health, water, sanitation and education facilities.

Construction of two new camps to decongest three Dadaab refugee camps : The Government of Kenya and UNHCR are actively searching for additional land to construct two new camps to decongest the existing Dadaab refugee camps and to host new arrivals. Each new camp will shelter some 40,000 - 60,000 refugees.

Humanitarian assistance: The Office will provide protection and assistance to new arrivals.

Activities

♦♦♦ Promote free access to the Kenyan territory for Somali asylum-seekers; ♦♦♦ Provide effective screening, registration and food ration documentation; ♦♦♦ Improve conditions and services in existing and newly constructed refugee camps; ♦♦♦ Maintain international standards of protection and material assistance for all people of concern; ♦♦♦ Improve refugee self-reliance through strengthening sustainable livelihoods projects; ♦♦♦ Support refugee women and youth through capacity building activities including skills training; ♦♦♦ Strengthen partnerships among stakeholders including the Government as well as implementing and operational partners, including UN agencies, national and international NGOs; and ♦♦♦ Provide access to services to the host community to support peaceful co-existence.

3 Key targets

♦♦♦ Registration, profiling, effective protection and legal assistance provided to all refugees; ♦♦♦ Prevention of refoulement ; ♦♦♦ Fifty per cent decrease in security incidents in camps as a result of government and local policing; ♦♦♦ All new arrivals are documented and assisted with essentials non-food items; ♦♦♦ Rehabilitation of existing and construction of new water, sanitation, health and education infrastructure; ♦♦♦ Enhanced protection monitoring through regular field visits and reporting systems; ♦♦♦ Increased community empowerment and self-management in camps; ♦♦♦ Increased awareness and community sensitization sessions for community leaders, organizers and volunteers on gender-based violence and; ♦♦♦ Community-based projects including road repair, markets, and other infrastructure benefit the host community.

Strategy

To implement all activities UNHCR will coordinate closely with the Government of Kenya’s Department of Refugee Affairs (DRA), the UN Country Team and NGO partners both in the capital and in Dadaab. DRA and the local authorities will be responsible for the overall security in the camp and reception sites and UNHCR will provide authorities support for personnel and logistics’ costs.

Within the UN Country Team, UNHCR will cooperate with development actors to provide support to the host community through community-based projects including road and airstrip repair; construction of classrooms and health centres; improving water and sanitation facilities; and through small-scale gardening projects to improve food security.

Challenges

The security situation in Somalia continues to deteriorate; some 34 humanitarian workers have been killed and 23 abducted during 2008. Further challenges to humanitarian action include the slow pace of Djibouti peace talks; hyper-inflation of food prices; intermittent heavy droughts and floods; and increased criminality including piracy.

Partners

Implementing partners Government: Department of Refugee Affairs. NGOs: CARE Kenya, National Council of Churches in Kenya; Norwegian Refugee Council; Save the Children.

Others: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit; IOM; Kenya Red Cross Society.

Operational partners: NGOs: Action against Hunger; Bethany Hospital Kijabe; Film Aid International; Solidarites.

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Financial requirements:

Appeal Budget – 2009

Annual Budget Supplementary TOTAL Activities and services Budget USD Protection, monitoring and coordination 4,442,642 4,038,865 8,481,507 Community Services 718,012 1,891,947 2,609,959 Domestic Needs 1,484,751 841,591 2,326,342 Education 900,000 4,649,919 5,549,919 Food 891,093 2,655,754 3,546,847 Health and nutrition 3,321,990 6,736,874 10,058,864 Forestry - 2,000,000 2,000,000 Legal Assistance 970,665 1,734,512 2,705,177 Income Generation - 2,000,000 2,000,000 Operational Support 4,200,110 12,977,412 17,177,522 Sanitation 1,158,384 5,812,495 6,970,879 Shelter and infrastructure 1,695,905 8,599,322 10,295,227 Transport and logistics 787,217 7,590,729 8,377,946 Water 871,873 4,030,495 4,902,368 Total operations 21,442,642 65,559,915 87,002,557 Support costs (7%)* - 4,589,194 4,589,194 Programme support - - - Grand total 21,442,642 70,149,109 91,591,751

* 7 per cent has been added to the total operational requirements to meet UNHCR’s indirect support costs.

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