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Urgent WASH interventions are needed to address the risk of transmission of waterborne diseases such as cholera, which is increased by overflowing toilets and a lack of potable water in the few existing toilets in Dagahali.
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In the longer term, basic assistance such as food and water will be needed: the vast majority of the population relies on what they can grow and grow, and during this particular rainy season many communities have lost livestock, crops or both, meaning communities Will suffer for a long time after the rain stops
*Nairobi, November 21, 2023* – Heavy rainfall in northeastern Kenya caused massive flooding and cut off traffic in parts of Garissa and Mandera counties, leaving many residents without shelter, clean drinking water or food supply. The area includes the Dadaab refugee camp, home to some 300,000 refugees, the majority of whom are from Somalia. Rains that began on November 8 washed away bridges and impassable roads, preventing trucks from delivering food and aid groups from reaching the area.
Teams from the international medical organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), already working in the Dagahali refugee camp, one of the three camps that make up Dadaab, have launched an emergency response.
In the Dagahaley refugee camp, more than 2,700 people have taken refuge in five schools, while many others have taken refuge with relatives. Markets and shops in the camp were deserted as food supplies were cut off.
“The water levels are still rising, forcing residents of the Dagahali camp to abandon their shelters,” said Ali Muhammed, a local resident who was taking shelter at a school to escape the floods. “We had 30 people crammed into a classroom and faced sleepless nights with insects and mosquitoes.”
Over the past 12 months, malnutrition, dietary epidemics and chronic outbreaks of cholera have increased dramatically in the Dagahale refugee camp. Refugees in Dadaab are neglected by international organizations and are increasingly in need of basic humanitarian assistance.
Even before the rains began, half of Dadaab’s residents had no access to available toilets, leading to open defecation in and around the camp. In early 2023, MSF teams built 150 public toilets to address worrying sanitation conditions and prevent further spread of disease.
Médecins Sans Frontières said the current flooding poses serious health risks to the residents of Dadaab. “Chronic lack of drinking water can lead to outbreaks of water-borne diseases such as hepatitis A, hepatitis E, dysentery, typhoid, polio and cholera,” said Sajjad Hussein, Médecins Sans Frontières’ Advocacy Manager at Dagahare. Sajad Hussein) said. In addition, food shortages may lead to further malnutrition, while stagnant water where mosquitoes breed will increase people’s risk of contracting diseases such as malaria and dengue fever. “People’s needs must be met urgently to prevent more serious consequences,” Hussein said.
MSF teams are distributing emergency kits containing soap, plastic sheeting, mosquito nets and water purification kits.
In recent years, people living in and around Dadaab have experienced repeated cycles of drought and floods. Local water sources dried up, livestock died of thirst, and crops were destroyed by heavy rains. “The vast majority of people rely on what they can grow and grow,” Sajjad Hussain said. “During this particular rainy season, many communities have lost livestock, crops or both, meaning people will continue to suffer long after the floods have receded.”
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Editorial Notes
The Dadaab refugee camp was established in 1991 to provide shelter to people fleeing civil war in neighboring Somalia. Since then, repeated cycles of conflict and drought have led to the expansion of refugee camps. Currently, the three camps of Dagahare, Ifo and Hagadra can accommodate more than 300,000 people. Since 2020, the number of new arrivals has increased significantly due to factors such as political instability and violence in Somalia and food insecurity caused by extreme weather.
Médecins Sans Frontières has been working in the Dagahali refugee camp since 2009. Currently, MSF teams manage a 92-bed hospital and two health stations within the refugee camp, as well as three health stations outside the camp.
To learn more about the needs of the people of Dadaab as well as MSF’s current activities and recent public statements, please visit: https://www.msf.org/kenya
Photos taken by MSF staff currently working in Dagahare are available for free download here .