August 2011
Natalie Dale is currently working in Dadaab refugee camp in northern Kenya
Natalie Dale, emergency programme officer, reports from Dadaab camp north eastern Kenya. She explains how working with refugees in the camp ensures that the most vulnerable are reached. She also considers refugees’ rights in the camp, and how we are ensuring that they are met.
‘I've only been here two days and it's dry and dusty! It feels slightly unnerving having to take police convoys to and from the camps but then at the same time I feel safe that I'm part of the convoy. We hear that there is a real threat of attacks.
The staff in the camps are working really hard as they are receiving between 700 to 1,200 new people arriving per day. The new arrivals can't be housed in the existing refugee camps and so extension camps have been set up.
People have been walking for weeks so when they arrive, so they are pretty worn out and desperate. However, the camp is really well organised and there is good coordination between the UN and other agencies. here. This means people get tents and the essential services as soon as the staff can arrange it.
Working with refugees
Christian Aid sister agency, Lutheran World Federation (LWF), an Act Alliance partner, is largely responsible for camp management. It does this well because it recruits help from among the refugees to run the camps.
Basically a camp is divided into blocks. In each block there are about 150 families. The refugees are given responsibility to support the running of their block within the camp.
In each block there is a team called the community, peace and safety team. People undergo a month’s training before they qualify as team members. They learn about why LWF needs to be accountable to them, their rights as refugees, the rules of the camps, what services people are entitled to, how to maintain peace in the camps and much more.
Community, peace and safety teams
This means that the ownership and promotion for living in a peaceful environment is given to the refugees. As a consequence, smaller disputes at a community level are sorted out among the refugees using the community, peace and safety teams and the elders in the communities.
More serious matters are referred to the police. These teams and the style of management also helps with the overall security of the camp, they keep their ear to the ground and report threats to the camp management team.
LWF also do assessments so that the most vulnerable receive further tokens and are told where they can pick up extra resources for their needs. So for example, the very old will receive extra blankets. LWF explains to people why they have been chosen and what exactly they are entitled to. This is really important as it can decrease the risk of violence breaking out.
Sharing information, knowing your rights
LWF are also largely responsible for information sharing in the camp so that people know their rights. On arrival refugees are informed of rules of the camp, for example, nobody can buy and sell land and people must only settle in allocated areas.
Refugees have rights to all the services and services are free. For example, education is a right and is free. They are also shown where the local hospitals are and where the food distributions take place.
Although the new refugees arrive exhausted, there are refugees that have been living in the camps for over 20 years who also give contributions and support to the new refugees. Many people have commented to me about how they are proud of the fact Somali’s really look after each other, and how they are supporting each other in the camp.
Natalie is working as part of the Humanitarian Accountability Partnership, with LWF and other agencies to ensure that they are accountable to the refugees in the camp.
For more information watch this short film ‘Our Say’ created by FilmAid, in collaboration with HAP, giving voice to people in the camp.
