*This is part of our series on the nexus between COVID-19 and food systems.
While the rest of us around the world are advised to wear masks, wash hands and stay indoors to curb the spread of COVID-19, those who reside in war tone countries and especially those in refugee camps, have a different story to tell. They often do not have these options as access to running water for example is a challenge for them. Kakuma refugee camp, one of the largest in East Africa, is one of the areas hit really hard by the pandemic.
Kakuma which means
“nowhere” in Swahili- was established in 1991, in North Western Kenya, bordering
South Sudan, Ethiopia and Uganda. During the early stages of inception, Kakuma
Refugee Camp was designed to accommodate South Sudanese refugees fleeing violence
and conflict from Sudan. Over the years, the camp has become a home of over
190,000 refugees and asylum seekers from different nationalities[1]. According to the UNHCR
facts sheet, Kakuma hosts about 21% of the refugee population in Kenya.
The camp is administered by United Nation High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) and fall under Kenyan government jurisdiction. Individuals in
the camp are controlled by the Kenyan government through the Department of
Refugees Affairs (DRA), which was adopted in 2006 under the refugees' act[2]. Refugees are restricted
to staying in the camp unless permitted to travel to other parts of the country
by the camp manager -which is an arduous process. Having spent most of my
childhood in Kakuma, I recall the process of getting a travelling document for
going back to school in Nairobi taking more than three weeks. It really was,
and I think it still is a tedious process to want to get out of the camp, for
whichever reason, be it medical or school.
There is only so much one can do in a semi-arid region such as
Kakuma. Access to economic resources is very limited. An average temperature of
40 degrees Celsius on a daily basis is not a good condition for agricultural
progress. Local retailers have to buy agricultural products from other parts of
the country and resell them at local markets. Otherwise, a majority, if not
all, depend on food distributed by the World Food Program (WFP) in partnership
with UNHCR. Considering the environmental condition of this camp, water is
another scarce resource. One communal tap being shared by more than 150 households.
And on top of that, the taps only run twice a day early morning and evening,
for about one hour. If one finds themselves towards the end of the queue, they
will end up with no water for a few days. Water, one of the basic human needs
is not that basic in place like Kakuma. In addition to these poor environmental
conditions, the legal constraints faced by refugees in the refugee camp have
prevented them from accessing livelihood opportunities and becoming
self-sufficient. Unlike urban refugees who can apply for “Class M” work permit,
those in Kakuma are not able to apply for work permits or at least work in
neighbouring areas. If travelling outside the camp in itself is hectic, finding
a job is therefore close to impossible!
In January 2021, I decided to get in touch with some of my friends and family members in the camp who acknowledge my questions about the living conditions in Kakuma during this pandemic. I can only imagine how bad it can get. The air is filled with sadness, fear and uncertainty. With the outbreak of COVID-19, the distress is particularly alarming among refugees, as they feel isolated and disconnected from the rest of the country. With restrictions put in place by the government of Kenya and the UNHCR, refugees are in a limbo, finding it difficult to navigate this global health crisis. Several government services dedicated to asylum seekers and refugees have been suspended. This includes welcoming of new refugees, registration process and even resettlement programs. The Refugee Affairs Secretariat (RAS) has suspended all their activities in Nairobi and Kakuma refugee camps. UNHCR Kakuma has passed information to refugees’ communities through a public information system managed by Film Aid International. Refugees are restricted from leaving the camp, with strict measures put in place for anyone who goes against the ‘law’. An example is a caveat that anyone who leaves the camp amid the pandemic will be arrested and UNHCR will not take any responsibility[3]. Besides, UNHCR is not responsible for anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 outside the camp. Prior to the pandemic, the population was already facing a range of challenges: barriers to economic inclusion, poor living conditions, high level of malnutrition, under-resourced healthcare and not so well-trained medical staff, had already left refugees vulnerable to the pandemic.
“I’m really worried about my children,” said Joyce a mother of
two from Congo, have resided in the camp for seven years now. “If the disease
gets here, there will be high mortality. We are facing a lot of challenges
already as refugees. We don’t have enough food, water and there are all sort of
diseases here”.
People in Kakuma rely on minimal food ration aid provided by the
World Food Program (WFP) twice a month. The food is distributed in small
portions of maize, sorghum, oil and lentils and an additional $1 per person in the
form of cash transfer. With the shortage of funds, the World Food Program has
reduced the amount of food given to refugees in both Kakuma and Dadaab by 30%[4].This has made food
insufficient in camps forcing many refugees to take credits from local retail
outlets. The number of collectors at
food distribution centres has reduced by more than 50 percent because of the
pandemic. With the help of World Vision
Kenya, temporary taps have been installed at distribution centres and people
are encouraged to practice social distancing as they queue in the line to wait
for food to be distributed.
“Even with restriction in place, there is still a lot of crowding at distribution centres, people don’t bother wearing masks, because they lack awareness about the dangers of the virus,” said Gatwech a South Sudanese refugee. “We don’t have a lot of information about this disease. Only the block leaders understand what is going on. We don’t have televisions or radios to get any updates about the virus”, he added.
Most people in Kakuma do not have enough information about COVID-19. As I mentioned earlier, the means of communication like radios or Televisions are not common, there is no electricity. Even if one is fully aware of the dangers of COVID-19 one still needs to fetch that water, stand in line to get food, share one compound with your neighbours, share a room with four or five other individuals, share utensils or rather eat in one plate, share latrines and so forth. Hospitals are understaffed, protection kits are not enough for healthcare workers and no distance measures put in place due to overcrowded space. The spread of the virus is almost impossible to prevent. Health care providers such as the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Africa Inland Church (AIC) in Kakuma are trying their best to prevent the spread of the virus but the gap is somewhat too wide to be bridged, leaving everyone in the camp vulnerable to acquiring the disease.
COVID-19 has also taken a toll on small businesses in the Kakuma Refugee camp. Curfews have been put in place where everyone has to be home by 7:00 pm. The police roam around and if anyone is found on the street they are arrested and fined ksh.20000. All shops are expected to close by 7:00 pm. This is a disadvantage to businesses whose operators believes the best time to sell is from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Roadside businesses are banned but there are still people doing this illegally because it is the only way they can make a living[5].
“I know it’s not halal to be selling here but I don’t have a choice. I need to make extra money so that I can buy food” said mama Halima, a roadside seller. We are told to wear a mask, wash hands, we don't even have sinks or money to buy these masks, she added".
The economic consequences of the pandemic are expected to be dire in Kakuma refugee camp. Though UNHCR and its partners are working towards solutions to help refugees recuperate from the pandemic, the low average level of pre-existing living conditions will make it even harder for them to recover.
References
Inside the World's 10 Largest Refugee Camps.(2012) UNHCR: Retrieved from https://www.arcgis.com/apps/MapJournal/index.html?appid=8ff1d1534e8c41adb5c04ab435b7974b
WFP Cuts Food Rations for Refugees in Kenya Amidst
Funding Shortfalls (2017)
Retrieved from: https://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-cuts-food-rations-refugees-kenya-amidst-funding-shortfalls
Forsen., Y. & Guyatt., H (2016). Refugee Household
Vulnerability Study: Kakuma Refugee Camp. Retrieved from:
Chudolinska, H., (2012). Kakuma: Peaceful coexistence among 13
nationalities away from home.
Kakuma
Refugee Camp and Kalobeyei Settlement, Kenya (2020): The UN Refugee Agency.
Retrieved
from
Nyadual Makuach
Criminology and Computer
Science Program
Undergraduate Research Assistant, ECVOntario
University of Guelph
[1] Chudolinska, H., (2012). Kakuma: Peaceful coexistence among 13
nationalities away from home.
[2] Kakuma Refugee Camp and Kalobeyei Settlement (2020).
Retrieved
from:
https://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-cuts-food-rations-refugees-kenya-amidst-funding-shortfalls
[5] Information was collected from a resident in Kakuma (2020)
I can definitely relate. I have been in that environment and what you’ve written are some of the challenges we faced back then and I know they are still existing. Covid-19 worsen the whole situation.
ReplyDeleteGreat research Nyadual!
Talking from experience, having lived there for 15 years, I can imagine what the refugees are going through right now since the pandemic is an additional problem on top of lack of food, good medication, limited movement, lack of water, insecurity, bad weather conditions etc.
ReplyDeleteRefugees need to be treated better because they go through alot in their daily lives after all they are all human beings like the rest.
Humanitarians service should change for the best .
Nice article Nyadual
This is such an important perspective! It is the people in the most vulnerable situations that are at the most risk, and it is so easy for people to forget that.
ReplyDeleteThanks for writing this Nyadual!!
Thank you Nyadual for highlighting the situation in the Refugee camp . From my opinion, I think the refugees have been neglected by the government during this pandemic. It’s high time for the government to protect the vulnerable!
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