Habibu Abdikadir fled fighting in Somalia with her 4 children in 2008 and ended up in Dadaab camp, northern part of Kenya.
For the past 9 years, the 32-year-old has found the camp as a haven, safer than what her motherland portrayed. She bore 5 other children during this period.
Until recently, the mother of 9 has experienced several challenges in providing for her family due to the little rations at her disposal.
“The sun will set if I get to explain the challenges we face.” she narrates.
“They only offer us Sorghum… a meal that even the goats have refused to eat. It’s not possible to have just sorghum in the morning, afternoon and evening” Abdikadir said.
Donors recently scaled down funds to refugee camps in Kenya such as Dadaab and Kakuma.
For Abdikadir, life in the camp has really changed. She explained that before the fund shortage, women would get basic essentials to help them sustain their daily living, which is not the case now.
“Before we were provided with items such as sanitary towels, food, and the like, but it’s not the case anymore.”
“Now I have to go round washing clothes for other people so as to afford a meal for my children. In a good day I can earn $20, which is equivalent to 200 Kenyan shillings.” She said.
Abdikadir said that she would never return to Somalia due to the insecurity. She felt secure being in the camp despite the struggles she is currently facing.
She hopes that the donors will not forget them and that they will keep providing them with food.
The UN High Commissioner for refugees, Filippo Grandi on Tuesday met Somali refugees being repatriated from Dadaab refugee camp back to Somalia’s Kismayo region.
90 individuals from 19 families voluntarily left the camp to go back home. The refugees in the camp are free to choose whether to go back home or stay.
Those who choose to return are given $150 monthly and a meal card for six months to help them settle in.
In October, insufficient funding forced the United Nations food Programme to cut rations by 30 percent, as it appeals for nearly $30 million for assistance.
“We are facing a critical shortage of resources, which has compelled us to reduce the amount of food given to the refugees only six months after we resumed full rations,” said World Food Programme (WFP) Representative and Country Director Annalisa Conte in a statement.
Overall, refugees living in Dadaab and Kakuma camps will receive a food ration equivalent to 70 per cent of their requirements.
During his visit in the camp, UN High Commissioner Filippo Grandi said that he is concerned by the continued struggle to fund refugees in Dadaab.
“All donors are moving to fund new crisis”, Grandi said as he addressed media at the camp.
Dadaab continues to play host to refugees since its does opened 25 years ago.
Donors are focused on new conflicts like South Sudan that are fuelling world’s worst refugee crisis since World War 2.
The United Nations launched the repatriation programme in December 2014 under pressure from Kenyan authorities, who threatened to close the camp in 2016.
Since the programme began, nearly 75,000 Somalis have left Dadaab, including 32,000 this year. Of those who left this year, 400 have returned to the camp and are not registered under the feeding programme.
Grandi called on governments to work together to ensure the refugees in Dadaab are provided with necessities for survival.
“I will not give up on the refugees here.” Grandi said
Dadaab camp is home to more than 238,000. Majority of the refugees living here fled war in 1991 and those forced to leave in 2011 due to starvation.
