Aid crisis in Kenya

Two Spanish aid workers for Medecins San Frontieres (MSF) at the Kanya’s Dadaad refugee camps have been recently attacked and abducted by an armed group. Although al-Shabad denies its participation in the events, authorities do not know if the group was from al-Shabab, a pirate gang or any other armed group. But it is suspected that the victims are in the instable Somalia which makes the rescue operation much more difficult. Abductions are successively happening and now, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has decided to reduce their aid operation in the refugee camp until the security of the area will increase. For example, there have not been any aid workers travelling to the border to pick up new refugees. This has several negative impacts on the region. If the Dadaab refugee camp was a city, it would be considered the third biggest city of the country. And, the famine and political situation in Somalia requires more help for asylum-seekers.

I didn’t want to talk once again about Kenya, even less about abductions in the country. However, this time the issue has gone too far. Not only it is having serious consequences on Kenya’s tourist economy (mostly in the areas next to the Somali border), but also it has negatively affected the international aid sector. Somali refugees need help that they barely find in Kenyan refugee camps. But now that the aid workers also are kidnapped, they fear working in those camps and the prestigious UNHCR has decided to slow down their aid operation in the Dadaad’s refugee camp, a very important camp in the area. The unknown armed groups causing these troubles are extremely hard to stop and aid workers can’t continue to risk their lives like this, but refugees still need lots of help. What can be done?

Source: BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15304384