Kenya, fleeing hunger and thirst but find violence and rape: the difficult life of refugee women in the Dadaab camps

ROME – The current drought in the Horn of Africa is putting a strain on families. As in any climate-related crisis, it is women who bear the brunt United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Many undertake precarious journeys in search of food and water, or to refugee camps where they can access humanitarian assistance, including health services for their children. Last Christmas, Rukia Yaroow Ali, 38, arrived at Hagadera refugee camp in Dadaab. Her hunger forced her to flee her village to Jilib in Somalia, along with her nine children.

Rukia tells. “My husband used to be a farmer, but due to the drought he was no longer able to farm,” she says. “The burden of providing for the family had become a constant argument between us. One day he told me he was going out to look for work. He never came back,” Rukia Yaroow Ali tells the operators of theUNFPA. “I came here with nothing and I couldn’t even get food or shelter for my children. I still owe 4,000 shillings, which is roughly $33, to the man who transported us here. I don’t know how I’ll pay for it”. For the moment, the woman and her children are housed in a shelter made of fabric on the outskirts of the Hagadera camp, together with other new refugees. Among whom are her brother and his family, arrived a few months earlier.

The numbers of the escape. About 45,000 people fled drought in Somalia in 2022, seeking refuge in five refugee camps in Dadaab, northern Kenya, reports theUNHCR. “In Hagadera camp we have had a 20 percent population increase since May 2022, which creates enormous pressure on available resources,” says Jane Ambale, Senior Women Protection and Empowerment Officer for the International Committee of the Red Cross (IRC extension).

The work of international organizations. The United Nations Population Fund and the International Committee of the Red Cross they work together to register arriving refugees and enable them to access health services. The most delicate work concerns women. “Our goal is to identify women who have survived or are at risk of gender-based violence and give them the necessary information and services they need,” Ambale explains.

Fragility and violence. The lack of safe shelters and the difficulty of obtaining food rations make undocumented refugees more vulnerable and more exposed to violence and sexual abuse, as they often rely on others to meet basic needs. Ms Ambale of the IRC says that in August 2022, for example, a woman went to a health center run by the Red Cross in Hagadera to seek help after being raped by an alleged “Good Samaritan”, who had offered to host her and her children when they arrived at the refugee camp.

Women’s Centers. The IRC runs a gender-based violence support center which is a safe space for the women of Hagadera to find psychosocial support and referrals for medical treatment and related services. Between May and December last year, the center helped 2,000 women, including 400 newcomers, by providing personal hygiene kits. The center organizes regular gender-based violence awareness days and weekly listening sessions, where women come together to discuss their needs.

The fear of reporting. “Often survivors of violence don’t know where to look for help or are afraid to speak up because they fear losing community support. Our outreach events allow us to reach as many newcomers as possible, letting them know that help is available whenever they need it,” Ms Ambale explains.

Drought and inequality. As Kenyan communities grapple with their worst drought in forty years, pre-existing gender inequalities and a lack of sexual and reproductive health services are exacerbating an already difficult situation, putting thousands of lives at risk. women. UNFPA provides life-saving, reproductive health and protection services to meet ever-increasing demands. For this purpose, an appeal was also launched with a request for 114 million dollars for a response plan to the drought crisis in the Horn of Africa for the years 2022-2023.