IOM NAIROBI BULLETIN

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1 IOM NAIROBI BULLETIN INSIDE THIS ISSUE: IOM FACILITATES IN- TER DISTRICT PEACE DIALOGUES BETWEEN THE TURKANA AND POKOT URGENT LIVESTOCK DESTOCKING NEEDED TO AVERT WORSEN- ING DROUGHT IM- PACTS IN MOYALE DISTRICT, NORTHERN KENYA SOMALIA: IOM AND PARTNERS BOOST HIV PREVENTION KENYA: IOM AND GOVERNMENT MINISTRY JOINS FORCES IN SUPPORT OF PASTORALISTS LIVELIHOOD ONE REFUGEE WITHOUT HOPE IS TOO MANY SOMALIA: IOM SPONSORS A SPORTS TOURNAMENT TO CREATE AWARENESS ON IRREGULAR MI- GRATION International Organization for Migration, Nairobi, Church Road, Off Rhapta Road, Westlands PO Box Nairobi, KENYA Phone: /174 Fax: piunairobi@iom.int Website: V O L U M E 5, I S S U E 6 Cattle rustling incidences and the rising conflicts over scarce pasture and water among the Pokot and Turkana communities continue to hit media headlines. The incidences have raised security concerns among the pastoralist communities in Northern Kenya, a scenario worsening as the protracted drought impacts negatively on the communities livelihood systems. Through a Japan-funded project to mitigate conflicts among the pastoralist and refugee host communities, International Organization for Migration (IOM) has launched an ambitious campaign strategy to reach the communities through the District Peace Committees (DPC). IOM s peace building and conflict management process is anchored on a four-pillar strategy that seeks to prevent conflict, protect victims of conflicts, build and strengthen policies that promote peaceful co-existence and promote partnerships with formal and grass root structures like peace committees. A joint training was held for the four Pokot County and Turkana South District Peace Committees (DPCs) in Kapenguria on 2 nd and 3 rd June 2011, barely a week after fatal raids along the border area of the two communities. A total of 50 peace committee members from the five Districts participated from West Pokot, Turkana South, Central Pokot, North Pokot and South Pokot Districts. This forum was also used as an opportunity for directors from the Truth, Justice J U N E IOM FACILITATES INTER DISTRICT PEACE DIALOGUES BETWEEN THE TURKANA AND POKOT Participants pose for a group photo and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC), to conduct civic education on the commission s reconciliation processes. The two-day training workshop was graced by the District Commissioner for West Pokot Mr. Alfred Mwandale, who applauded IOM s Peace building strategy of partnering and empowering the grass root committees for sustainable impact. The teams identified land disputes, historical marginalization, negative politics, scarcity of water and pasture, poor governance systems and the retrogressive culture of cattle rustling as the main sources of conflict between the two communities as the challenges being faced by residents of the area. Boundaries and land disputes were seen to elicit emotions and the recommendations were that the government take decisive measures to identify the real boundaries, involvement of the two communities in identifying the boundaries and meetings to create a common understanding on the importance of living in harmony, historical injustices to be addressed through TJRC s hearings and recommendations and the government to beef up security in the region by empowering the Kenya Police Reservists. The Peace Building and conflict management process is anchored on a four-pillar strategy that seeks to prevent conflict, protect victims of conflicts, build and strengthen policies that promote peaceful co-existence IOM will support a two-day training of statement takers by TJRC, who will be tasked with the responsibility of writing statements of incidences of violations, mobilizing the communities and writing memoranda of human rights violations in the region. The training will be facilitated by TJRC and the commission will organize a visit to West Pokot County for hearings.

2 P A G E 2 URGENT LIVESTOCK DESTOCKING NEEDED TO AVERT WORSENING DROUGHT IMPACTS IN MOYALE DISTRICT, NORTHERN KENYA The current drought which has depleted pasture and dried water points in Moyale has increased both internal and cross-border movement. Inter-clan attacks and counter-attacks have increased with fatal consequences. Seven people were killed in Burji, Moyale town as a result of cross border community conflicts on 16 and 27 of May Drought conditions are set to worsen in the coming months. The Security in Mobility Initiative in coming months will advocate support for long-term interventions that build community resilience to drought; including pasture range management, cross-border disease surveillance and facilitated mobility to shared resources to avert conflict and support environmental management. The cattle have become emaciated and are dying Pastoralists in Northern Kenya have called on a United Nations inter-agency team Security in Mobility (SIM) to advocate for the enhancement of destocking exercises that would help households save the few livestock they have left, as drought continues to ravage the pastoral livelihoods system in the Arid areas of Northern Kenya. The United Nations inter-agency team comprising of UNOCHA, FAO and IOM, were in Moyale last month to assess the impact of the drought on pastoralists. The team noted that the cattle physical condition have deteriorated to such an alarming rate, that traders are no longer interested in purchasing them in markets in Moyale and Nairobi. I have lost most of my cows, and the remaining ones are emaciated and dying. There is nowhere to take them [cows] to graze. My only option is to dispose them but there is no one willing to buy the animals in such poor condition, 49 year old Muro Ali told the UN SIM team at the Moyale Market which hosts pastoralists from Moyale, Ethiopia, Marsabit, Mandera and Wajir. Ali, a husband and father of 8 has already lost 39 cows out of his herd of 60 as a result of this year s drought. IOM AND PARTNERS BOOST HIV PREVENTION An estimated 8.1 million people are feeling the impact of poor health systems in Somalia due to ongoing conflict. Instability in the country is exacerbating gender inequalities, impacting on economic security, creating mass displacement, and resulting in human rights violations. All of these factors have resulted in an increase in HIV prevalence. Over the last two years, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has worked closely with Government officials and partners to develop and implement community centred health programmes. IOM trained nearly 100 peer educators in 2010 in health care education and sexual and gender-based violence, and reached out to over 2,270 populations that are particularly vulnerable to HIV infection, including truck drivers, port workers, and internally displaced persons with behaviour change communication activities. The United Nations SIM team has noted that for most of these pastoralists de-stocking exercises will be too late if not implemented in the next six weeks. Livestock prices have dropped from Ksh in April 2011 to the current Ksh.5000 for a mature bull. Pasture conditions are very poor in the district and will be depleted in the next two weeks due to heavy movement of livestock from Isiolo, Ethiopia and Wajir. Pastoralists now have to purchase packaged milk as their cows are no longer able to produce fresh milk. To add to the burden they must now travel even further distances to water their livestock. Walking distances for man and cattle have now more than doubled with up to 50-60km covered against the pre-drought distance of 8-12kms.

3 IOM AND GOVERNMENT MINISTRY JOINS FORCES IN SUPPORT OF PASTORALISTS LIVELIHOOD P A G E 3 production department and provincial administration in the area engaged the communities in mapping out pastoralist communities and beneficiaries for the improved breeds of goats and sheep. Due to the effects of climate change resulting in prolonged drought and unreliable rainfall in Northern Kenya, IOM is also distributing feed supplements to help the improved breeds in adapting to the new environment as well as boost the weak and vulnerable local livestock. ONE REFUGEE WITHOUT HOPE IS TOO MANY In the backdrop of the ever increasing number of refugees from Somalia to Dadaab refugee camp, the biggest refugee camp in the World, IOM joined the Government of Kenya and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in June 20, 2011, to mark the World Refugee Day. The theme this year was One Refugee Without Hope is Too Many. Some of the goats distributed to farmers in West Pokot Scarce resources have led to increased pastoralist movements to insecure and more environmentally fragile places in Northern regions of Kenya. Whilst these communities have had long-standing historical tensions and resource based conflicts, chronic drought has significantly increased the frequency of pastoral movements and the duration spent in foreign territory. The Pokot, a predominantly pastoralist community, from West Pokot County, in Kenya s North Rift Valley bordering on Western Uganda is constantly faced with external as well as internal conflicts arising from scramble for scarce pastures and water for their animals. An assessment conducted on the breeding patterns of goats reared in this area shows that their milk and meat production is very low due to inbreeding as well as a reduction of the animals vigor and resilience to the ever changing climate. IOM in partnership with the Ministry of Livestock and Veterinary Department embarked on a sensitization project among the livestock interests groups in the county of Pokot in an effort to address the need to improve indigenous breed and consequently improve the quality of meat and milk productivity of the animals. Kenya s Minister for Immigration and Registration of Persons who was also the chief guest, Hon. Otieno Kajwang commended IOM for the good work the organization is doing in the resettlement of refugees. He also interacted with IOM staff at the IOM exhibition booth. Activities that helped interact with the refugees, media, dignitaries, partners, humanitarian workers and the general public including trivia quiz questions, awareness creation and the process of movement were carried out IOM exhibition. World Refugee Day is held every year on June 20. Thousands of people around the world take time to recognize and applaud the contribution of forcibly displaced people throughout the world. Events of the day provide an opportunity for the International Community to interact with those who have been forced to flee their homeland to seek asylum in other countries and to reaffirm the values upon which International Agreements for Refugee Protection are based. Twenty groups of herders selected from four districts in West Pokot were given five Galla breed goats to boost productivity of the animals in the area. A total of 100 Galla goats were provided and a monitoring strategy put in place to ensure good health of the animals, their security, feeding and benefit to the community. Capacity building will also be provided to the farmers on livestock productions skills, feeding, animal health and marketing to ensure an improvement in goat rearing in the county. In Turkana West, IOM also distributed 50 Galla goat bucks and 50 male topper sheep for breeding. IOM in partnership with the Ministry of livestock s livestock Minister for Immigration and Registration of Persons Hon. Otieno Kajwang (in cap) interacts with IOM staff during the World Refugee Day IOM, Chris Wade

4 P A G E 4 SOMALIA: LET THE GAMES BEGIN! IOM SPONSORS A SPORTS TOURNAMENT TO CREATE AWARENESS ON IRREGULAR MIGRATION In his opening remarks, the Vice President H.E Abdurahman Abullahi Sayli I explained to the crowds and players how difficult it is to move away from one s country to another and start new life. He said: This country needs young people like those of you playing in this tournament to stay home. Please stay at home, otherwise you will be victims of trafficking and will be victimized in many different ways. Every year, tens of thousands of migrants and asylum-seekers make the hazardous journey across the Gulf of Aden in search of a better life. They travel across the Gulf of Aden to Yemen in makeshift boats operated by unscrupulous smugglers. The tournament brought together thousands of spectators Thousands of spectators turned out to watch the opening ceremony of a Sports tournament at Hargeisa Stadium, Somaliland which took place from 8-24 June, 2011, in which nine football teams, six basketball teams, and an athletics team comprised of young Somalis and migrants competed at Hargeisa Stadium on 8 June organized to create awareness amongst Somalia youth on the dangers of irregular migration. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) in partnership with the Somaliland Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture organized this day as part of its ongoing advocacy campaign, funded by the Government of Japan under its Mixed Migration Programme. Its main aim is to warn young people, in particular, of the dangers of irregular migration and human trafficking. The message is simple DON T TAHRIB! a term widely used by Somali s which, loosely translated means don t become an irregular/undocumented migrant, with the further underlying implication of don t fall victim to smugglers and traffickers be aware of the dangers of getting into a rickety boat and its potentially lethal consequences. IOM, the UN and non-governmental organizations have been running campaigns for years to create awareness and educate potential migrants and asylum seekers from falling prey to the cunning ways of smugglers and human traffickers whose only interest is to make money, and with no regard to the lives. These campaigns have done little to discourage people desperate to flee war and poverty from risking their lives. It is non the less crucial that these messages do not stop. Mr. Husham Halim, the IOM Head of Office in Hargeisa said "You have to keep trying. You just cannot give up. Every week people are dying or drowning or suffering great abuses. You just never know how many may be saved," he said. According to the mixed migration task force comprised of IOM, UNHCR, OCHA, UNDP, UNICEF, WFP, the Danish and Norwegian Refugee Councils and INTERSOS, some 37,406 migrants and asylum seekers (mostly Ethiopians and Somalis) crossed the Gulf of Aden arriving in Yemen from Somalia between January and June It is Crucial that we do not stop creating awareness on the dangers of irregular migration Halim Husham Head of IOM s Office in Hargeisa Somalia High level representatives of the Somaliland Government including H.E Vice President Abdurahman Abullahi Sayli I, H.E Mohamed Ibrahim Madar Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture, H.E. Farah Ali, Minister of Agriculture and HE Ahmed Abdullahi, the Regional Governor for Hargeisa showed up in full force to demonstrate their support for this initiative. Also in attendance were the first and second secretaries of the Embassy of Japan from Nairobi Mr. Shinya Iwata, and Ms. Kaoru Yokotani and the Head of IOM s Hargeisa Office, Mr. Husham Halim.

5 P A G E 5 IOM NAIROBI WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE DONORS AND PARTNERS WHO HAVE FEATURED IN THIS MONTH S NEWSLETTER AND WITH WHOSE SUPPORT THESE PROGRAMMES HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE International Organization for Migration, Nairobi, Church Road, Off Rhapta Road. Westlands PO Box Nairobi, KENYA Phone: /174 Fax: piunairobi@iom.int Website: