No funds for refugees in Kakuma

The Kakuma refugee camp in northern Kenya faces a severe funding crisis. Presently the camp is home to nearly 70,000 refugees from nine different countries with the majority from Sudan. The dwindling funds jeopardize the distribution of food and clean water by the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), a member of the ACT alliance.

Largely due to a funding crisis in UNHCR, LWF urgently needs around US $ 200,000 to maintain basic life saving activities for refugees. LWF is a major implementing partner of UNHCR in Kakuma, being responsible for camp management which includes security, water and sanitation, food distribution, logistics, community services and education.

Kakuma is located near the border to Sudan and was established in 1992. The camp stretches out over 15 kilometers and inhabits nearly 70,000 people, mainly Sudanese (86%). The others come from Somalia, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, Congo and Ethiopia. Every day new refugees arrive – one is Sabina Itubo who came from a village in southern Sudan. Her husband and all her relatives were killed in a bombing raid by the Sudanese air force. Sabina fled with her four children. She had to walk for nine days till she finally reached the border town Lokichoggio.

Sabina was totally exhausted from the long walk through an arid bush with temperatures reaching 38 degree Celsius. The family had nothing to eat and no water and Sabina nearly gave up when she lost her baby on the way. Now Sabina and her surviving children are waiting to get a small hut in the camp. She doesn’t want to go back to the Sudan. The civil war in her country has been going on for 17 years and there is no end in sight.

When actual fighting in southern Sudan escalate, the number of refugees in Kakuma could easily go up to 80,000 as it was the case at the end of 1999. The problems Graham Davison, the manager of the camp, is facing are overwhelming. Graham from Ireland is working for LWF and he and his staff of 120 are responsible for running the camp. Partners of the ACT network are supporting the work of LWF in addition to the core funding coming from UNHCR.

Because of cuts in the UNHCR budget by 20% this year LWF has had to prioritize its services to address the most life saving services and consequently had to lay off over 70 permanent staff and 200 refugee incentive workers. Further financial problems with UNHCR occurred in November. Subsequently not enough money was forthcoming and LWF was left in a desperate situation: LWF sees it as a moral obligation to continue provide life saving services including food distribution as well as water and sanitation to the camp population.

"I can not pay the salary for my staff if UNHCR can’t give more money. Should I further cut the food rations for the people in the camp?", Graham asks. He can’t do that. The distribution of food is already down to 1600 calories per person. That’s is far too low compared to the UN rule that every refugee should get about 2300 calories a day. As a result of the cut back in services, tension and insecurity in the camp is rising. "It may only be a matter of time before riots and protests break out in the camp", Graham says.