Kakuma Refugee Camp

Overview

In the North-Western region of Kenya, by the border to South Sudan, Ethiopia and Uganda

Founded in 1992 to serve the “Lost Boys of Sudan” from the Sudanese Civil war

3km by 18km Population: 170,000 15+ nationalities

Ran by UNHCR helped by 13 implementing partners

Divided into 4 sub-camps, Kakuma 1 through 4, and then further into blocks and zones

LWF is the biggest UNHCR implementing agency in Kakuma

Refugees hold elections every two years at every level*

Food distributed to refugees every two weeks

Program divided into 5 sectors: Community Services, Sustainable Livelihoods, Education, WASH and Security.

Community Services Sector Offers services primarily to people with special

needs Keeping peace within the camp Child Protection Unit (children make up 54.8%of

camp) Youth protection and development Reception Centre management Gender equity and human rights Resolving conflicts Sustainable livelihoods

Asylum seekers stay here for about 2 weeks during assessment

If approved, they are registered as refugees and let into the camp

Expansion due to influx from South Sudan in late 2013

Priority for vulnerable to ensure they receive the care they need

Population: 2074 (as of Aug 18, 2014).

Reception Centre

Reception Centre

WASH sector

Unpredictable rain, about 300mm/year

Plenty of water runs through during the rainy season: water harvesting not well implemented

12 boreholes – water pumped by generators

No surface water most of the year

4.3 million litres System built in 1993, and

has since received only minor repairs

15-20% lost to leaks and overflows

15% of the water goes to agencies

Approx 17L/refugee/day (UNHCR standard is 20L)

Newer parts of camp have refugees making do with as little as 9L/day

Host community walks about 5km for unsanitary water

41,000 at high risk of contracting water borne diseases – Cholera out break in South Sudan hasn’t transferred into the camp… yet.

The water system is ran by the refugees, and the management will contact them to help with small repairs for an incentive. This is compliant with the participation principle

Education

There are 29 schools for 50,000 students There are 4 secondary schools, among

which 2 are girls boarding schools focussing on protection from early marriage and FGM

Angelina Jolie funded a girls’ primary boarding school, and Morneau Shepell funded a secondary school

90% of education staff are refugees This tent is a typical class, some of

which have upwards of 100 students Learning in shifts to accommodate

numbers Teacher:Student ratio is about 1:120

Sustainable Livelihoods

The refugees are involved in several income generating activities:› Shops› Salon/barber shops› Restaurants/catering› Transportation› Clothes, bags, art pieces› Power generation

Conclusion

The camp is doing its best to cope with limited resources and an ever increasing demand for the services they provide

Security risks in Kenya have been linked to refugees and the country is thus becoming less receptive to them

The camp is in the process of requesting the government for more land