The European Commission has allocated €3 million in humanitarian aid for programmes to support refugees in Kenya’s Dadaab camps. Around 267,0000 refugees are currently accommodated in Dadaab, which was designed for just 90,000 people. The refugees have fled Somalia due to the ongoing insecurity caused by two decades conflict.
Peter Zangl, the Director General of the European Commission Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO), who is currently in Kenya visiting Dadaab, said: “Given the extreme overpopulation of the camp, living conditions have become particularly harsh. In 2009, we witnessed an average arrival of over 6,000 refugees every month. The new funds will allow us to bring additional support to the refugees and displaced persons in the camps by providing health assistance, water and sanitation, non-food items as well as protection.”
In 2009, the European Commission allocated €10 million (US$13.2m) in humanitarian aid to support this refugee population in Kenya. Funding allocations could increase depending on how the humanitarian situation develops. In the first three months of 2010, over 14,400 more refugees have been registered at Dadaab. It is expected that the Ifo camp, one of the three camps that makes up Dadaab, will be expanded in 2010 to accommodate the increasing number of arrivals.
Background
All Commission-funded humanitarian projects are implemented by non-governmental relief organisations, specialised UN agencies and the Red Cross/Red Crescent movement. The European Commission Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO) has support offices across east, central and southern Africa. ECHO field experts closely follow developments in the humanitarian field and play an active role in the local coordination of relief efforts. They also monitor the use of the Commission’s relief funds.
Source: European Commission
