HORN THE HORN INSIDE THIS ISSUE. Special Edition, Looking Back at the Horn of Africa Drought

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1 INSIDE THIS ISSUE P.2 Revisiting IOM s Response for the Horn of Africa Drought P.4 Migration Health Support for the Horn of Africa Drought P.5 Livelihood Support for Refugee Host Communities Affected by Drought P.6 Emergency Shelter Constructions for Drought Dislaced Refugees P.7 IOM Director General Visits the Horn of Africa P.8 Migrant Female Sex Worker talks about her job THE HORN HORN Kenya Mission with Coordinating Functions for the Horn of Africa Newsletter Issue 8 April 2012 Special Edition, Looking Back at the Horn of Africa Drought

2 IOM REGIONAL RESPONSE HORN OF AFRICA DROUGHT Last year, the Horn of Africa was been faced with the worst drought crisis that resulted in lack of food and access to safe water for more than 12.5 million people in the region. The situation was especially dire in Southern Somalia, where famine was declared by the UN in five regions. Emergency medical and nutritional interventions became necessary as part of life saving interventions. IOM s humanitarian response for the drought attention and food. affected populations built upon its existing programmes and substantial capacity in the region, to support needs identified during an assessment mission carried out in the last week of July 2011 in Dollo Ado, Ethiopia and Dadaab, Approximately 2,000 refugees reached the camps every day after walking for days, with 50 per cent of the children being moderately or severely malnourished. There are currently five Refugee Camps in Dollo Ado including Bokolmanyo, Melkadida,Kobe, Hilaweyn and Buramino. Hilaweyn and Buramino camps were opened at Kenya. the peak of the drought crisis to accommodate Women and Children - The number of new arrivals from Somalia in Dadaab and Dollo Ado Refugee camps the influx of drought displaced refugees. In Ethiopia, an estimated 4.8 million people, including some 230,000 refugees, were in need of assistance according to OCHA. More than 120,000 refugees from Somalia in Ethiopia s Dollo Ado was alarming. An average of 1,355 people arrived daily in Dadaab, with more than 38,000 registrations in July alone, of which a massive 80 percent were women and small children. An average of 1,700 refugees were arriving in Dollo Ado in a day. area, were in need of shelter, transport, medical In Kenya, food insecurity deepened in pastoral areas and impoverished urban settings, with Global Acute Malnutrition levels exceeding 30 per cent in northern districts, where rising conflict exacerbated these problems. The situation in Kenya was aggravated by the unprecedented number of Somali refugees who were fleeing the drought; the overcrowding in Dadaab camps, brought on by the effects of conflict and drought in Somalia, meant that already scarce resources were being stretched further. The number of crisis cases of malnourishment in new arrivals from Somalia was increasing and required emergency support. After registration, the refugees health quickly deteriorated due to worsening water and sanitation conditions in the outskirts of camps the main camps, a lack of appropriate high-energy food and the inability of agencies to follow-up on these cases because they did not know where the families would settle after registration. Many young children were suffering. There was a 3.2-fold, a 3.8-fold and a 6-fold increase in mortality for infants below five years of age at the Ifo, Hagadera and Dagahaley Refugee Camps respectively. Agencies in Dadaab unanimously agreed that the refugee influx posed a serious emergency which needed to be addressed urgently and strategically. An IOM needs assessment in July 2011 for the migrating population and the host community identified gaps in: Health and psychosocial support, Shelter and transport for new arrivals, and Livelihood support for the host community. 2. IOM Regional Coordination Mission. Newsletter. Volume 3 Issue 8. April 2012

3 IOM S RESPONSE TO DATE Transport Assistance Kenya Transportation and Medical Assistance to Vulnerable Migrants from Liboi to Dadaab: At the request of the Provincial Administration, IOM facilitated the movement of vulnerable migrants from the town of Liboi near the border of Somalia to Dadaab, a distance of about 90 kms. Emergency Relocation Assistance from Dagahaley to Ifo 2 East Refugee Camp:- IOM provided transportation assistance for refugees who had settled in the outskirts of Dagalaey refugee camp and relocated them to Ifo 2 East Camp, where they could access better services. The relocation that begun on 18 August 2011 and ended on 15 March 2011 saw IOM relocate 30,487 persons Ethiopia IOM is still providing transportation and predeparture medical assessments for refugees arriving at the Dollo Ado Reception Centre from Somalia. Since the start of the exercise in August 2011, IOM has provided transportation assistance to 72,486 refugees, carried out 62,098 pre-departure health assessments and more than 3,648 family reunifications. A total of 120,545 people have been transported as of 10 May Total movement from 31 July to 12 October 2011 is 17,572 drought displaced refugees. At the same time, 750 migrants have benefitted from medical screenings, 515 from medical treatments and 235 have had medical referrals. 3. IOM Regional Coordination Mission. Newsletter. Volume 3 Issue 8. April 2012

4 Migration Health Support Ethiopia IOM has provided medical assessment for close to 64, 530 vulnerable refugees in the Dollo Ado Refugee Camps. Doctors and nurses seconded by IOM to support the Government of Ethiopia s Administration for Refugee and Returnee Affairs (ARRA) have conducted approximately 10,000 medical consultations in the Melkadida Camp Health Centre, and vaccinated over 2,000 refugees in a successful polio and measles campaign at the Melkadida Refugee Camp. Kenya Refugees at the Ifo 2 East Camp in Dadaab have experienced various health concerns. A cholera outbreak in the Ifo 2 East Camp in Dadaab in August 2011 saw IOM in collaboration with Kenya Red Cross and UNHCR provide medical assistance to curb the outbreak in the camp. Drastic weather changes in the area, poor nutrition and poor living standards has also seen many of the patients treated for watery diarrhea, lower and upper respiratory tract infections, malaria, and skin infection. The joint medical team has also been providing ante-natal care services and immunization against diphtheria, tetanus, hemophilus, influenza b infections, hepatitis and measles for children between the ages of 0-12 months. The team has so far attended to 17,010 patients in the Ifo 2 East Camp as of 18 May In order to help stem the outbreak of cholera in Dadaab Refugee Camp, IOM donated drugs and medical supplies worth 3.2 million Kenya Shillings to UNHCR on 20 December, 2011.

5 Livelihood Support for Refugee Host Communities Affected by Drought IOM has provided livelihood support to refugee host communities in Dadaab and Kakuma. This has gone a long way in mitigating resource based conflict between refugees and communities that host them. IOM has achieved the earmarked goals in livelihood support for the Dadaab host communities. Under the CERF funded livelihood response for drought affected communities in northern Kenya, IOM carried out a livestock destocking exercise benefiting 251 households and 995 individuals in Daadab and Fafi districts. Additionally, approximately 186 pastoralists in north-eastern Kenya received training on pasture conservation and storage. Over 110 beneficiaries from Dadaab and Fafi Districts received camels in a restocking exercise that saw IOM distribute 330 camels. To enable access to water and improve hygiene standards at water points, IOM renovated a water kiosk set up by the local community in Alijungur, Fafi District. The kiosk provides water for both human and animals in the area. IOM also initiated training for the host community in water services and management and distributed 8 water tanks to the communities in both Daadab and Fafi districts. Community training focusing on livestock health and reporting on livestock diseases was conducted for the refugee host communities. To check against deaths due to dehydration along migration routes IOM has placed three water tanks along the official refugee migratory route from Liboi to Dadaab. The water tanks are located in Kulan, Malayle, Kodakso and Madhagisi. IOM will continue to focus and address livelihoods for affected population in four thematic areas; livestock support, pasture development, water management and vocational training and income generating activities. Sustainability shall be ensured through continuous capacity building of the service providers and beneficiaries. 5. IOM Regional Coordination Mission. Newsletter. Volume 3 Issue 8. April 2012

6 Emergency Shelter Constructions IOM in partnership with UNHCR constructed emergency shelters for the arriving drought displaced refugees at the Ifo 2 East Refugee Camp. The excercise to set up emergency shelters was taking place concurrently with the relocation efforts from Dagahaley camp to the Ifo 2 East Camp. By 14 December 2011, a total of 8, 315 tents (60 from Japan ODA and 2,087 from Shelter Box and UNHCR) had been constructed at Sections D, E, F & J assisted technically, and monitored by IOM and Shelter Box staff. The shelter team, comprising 55 workers, who received training by IOM and the Shelter Box company, resumed work in the beginning of December and completed pitching the final 663 tents on 14 December Before the tents were set up, refugees lived under trees or constructed make-shift shelters to protect themselves from the harsh weather elements. 6. IOM Regional Coordination Mission. Newsletter. Volume 2 Issue 3. April 2012

7 Next Steps Women and Children - The number of new arrivals from Somalia in Dadaab and Dollo Ado Refugee camps was alarming. An average of 1,355 people arrived daily in Dadaab, with more than 38,000 registrations in July alone, of which a massive 80 percent were women and small children. An average of 1,700 refugees were arriving in Dollo Ado in a day. Transitional Shelters: While the emergency shelters constructed at the peak of the refugee influx in Dadaab have provided households with a minimal standard of protection from the elements, they have an expected life-span of only 6-12 months and a more sustainable solution for shelter has been recognized as a priority in Ifo 2 East Camp. In March 2012, IOM conducted a survey of emergency shelters in the eastern section of Ifo 2 East Camp and found that tents needed to be replaced or repaired.in response to requests from the host and refugee communities and after a successful 2010 pilot project, a shelter strategy has been developed for Ifo2 East which focuses on the construction of more sustainable shelters, made of Interlocking Soil Stabilized Blocks (ISSB). The blocks produced through this process have a lifespan of up to 20 years, thus negating the need to cut local trees or regularly harvest new soil as is the case with the traditionally constructed shelters used in the region. While this strategy is welcomed by shelter partners and both the local and host communities as a sustainable, long-term solution to the issue of shelter in Ifo2 East, there is a clear need for a quicker and more short-term solution which addresses the immediate shelter gaps in Ifo2 East. The IOM transitional shelter was therefore designed with the goal of providing a temporary solution within the broader framework of the ISSB shelter project. Shelter constructions have started in Dadaab and so far, IOM, working closely with shelter beneficiaries has constructed five shelters, which include the main house and a kitchenette. At the beginning of 2012, IOM Kenya received USD 3million funding from the Government of Japan through the Japan Supplementary Fund to provide additional assistance to Somali refugees in Dadaab and other refugee camps. This funding will mainly respond to health, livelihood and conflict prevention for the next one year. Health: Health response will include providing health education to refugee and communities that host them, to improve cholera awareness and foster improved hygiene, make available essential cholera commodities to local Ministry of Health (Dadaab, Kakuma). Improve and restock health facilities in Dadaab and Kakuma, reproduce and disseminate IEC materials on hygiene measures for prevention of waterborne/water-related disease outbreak among others. Livelihood: Livelihood support will cover a rapid livelihoods needs assessment in the target areas to identify possible interventions, community sensitization, and establishing outreach structures. Efforts will be made to strengthen community based livestock health service delivery through the selection and establishment of veterinary drug stores and providing vaccination treatment and de-worming of livestock. Conflict Prevention: Conflict often results to forced migration and interventions will focus on raising community awareness on peaceful co-existence, empowering District Peace Committees by supporting their conflict management activities at grassroots level and facilitating cross border dialogues. IOM also aims to sensitize local leaders on the appropriate conflict management mechanisms among mobile groups and help establish practical early warning and rapid response systems. In Ethiopia, IOM is implementing a Surviving and Recovering from Disaster and Displacement (SARDD) Programme to contribute to the survival and well being of both Internally Displaced Persons and generally those affected by disaster. IOM has provided essential non-food items as well as livelihood support in Gambella and Moyale regions where the programme is being implemented. IOM is also providing emergency Support to Drought Affected Pastoral and Agro-pastoral communities in Borena Zone, Oromiya Region focusing on water source rehabilitation and livestock restocking exercises. Transportation The provision of emergency transportation assistance to refugees fleeing drought and violence in Somalia is still on going. So far, over 70,000 Somali refugees have been assisted in Dollo Ado. Meanwhile, IOM is also providing emergency transportation for both Sudanese and South-Sudanese refugees in Benishangul, Gumuz and Assosa regions. The rise of hostilities and tensions between the Sudan Forces and SPLM-N in Blue Nile and South Kordofan states of the Sudan since September last year, triggered an influx of refugees in Ethiopia. Since then, IOM has provided emergency transportation assistance to over 25,000 refugees in Benishangul, Gumuz region. 7. IOM Regional Coordination Mission. Newsletter. Volume 3 Issue 8. April 2012

8 IOM Director General Visits the Horn The director General... The IOM Director General William Lacy Swing was in Kenya on 31 January 2012, for a oneday official visit. His arrival to Kenya was part of a tour that saw him visit countries in the Horn of Africa including Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan. The Director General held a series of bilateral meetings with government officials, various representatives of the United Nations in Kenya and foreign envoys, with an aim to strengthen partnerships and re-affirm the organization s commitment to work with and support the Government of Kenya in its development agenda on issues relating to migration. IOM s programming has grown over the years to reach out to mobile and vulnerable populations in areas affected by conflict and natural disasters including Eldoret, Dadaab, Kakuma, Garissa and Kapenguria. IOM s support in Dadaab has gone beyond the Horn of Africa Drought emergency response and focuses on long term intervention measures including supporting and reviving livelihood systems among pastoralist and refugee host communities to respond to climate change and the refugee influx in Northern Kenya for the benefit of all. The Republic of Kenya was the first African country to become a member of the IOM and has since witnessed exceptional growth, reflecting the increasing importance of migration on the national and international policy agenda. Countries visited in the Horn Ethiopia Kenya Somalia South Sudan 8. IOM Regional Coordination Mission. Newsletter. Volume 3 Issue 8. April 2012

9 A Day in the Life of Esther Kayumba*, a migrant Female Sex Worker * Name changed to protect identity A man alights at Majengo from the matatu bus stop. Everyone stares at him; they know he has come here for sex. He manoeuvres round fragile tin house, dodges the sewage and walks to where the women on stools sit. He sees a woman on her stool, walks into her home, and ten minutes later they exchange money. He leaves; she takes a soda, and awaits her next client. That is how life is here. Esther s husband died of AIDS two years ago: He was in denial and refused to accept his status. He did not want help, or ARVs. I think that is why he died. We need intensive counselling here in Majengo, we need free condoms, and we need money so we don t have to sit on the stools anymore. Here we must have the highest number of sex workers living positively with HIV in Nairobi. It could be as high as 500. Most businesses need knowledge on the English language, so only understanding swahili reduces my chances of getting proper work. With ongoing lifeskills support from the pilot programme, Esther has started her own vegetable stall: Now my children don t come home from school and ask why I am sitting on a stool anymore. 20 years as a sex worker Esther Kayumba should know. At the age of 43, she has spent the last 20 years as a sex worker in Majengo, an area in Nairobi. In Majengo, men know they can get cheap sex. Some girls get a flat rate of 100 shillings ($1), but I have worked for 50 shillings, says Esther. We have a mixture of clients but businessmen from other countries are always the good ones. Lots of our clients do not work; young people around here have nothing to do, no job, no education. They just sit around during the day, or wash cars for a few shillings, and then rob people at night. These clients have threatened me with a knife, or just abuse me until I have sex with them for free. I came to Kenya from Tanzania for a better life but I have been sitting on this stool for 20 years selling sex. Men who have HIV don t care about protection Following her mother s death, Esther travelled from Bukoba in Tanzania to look after her younger siblings in Nairobi, Kenya. Arriving in Majengo, Esther had no money to support her family. Her Tanzanian friends told her the only option was sex work and at the age of 23, Esther had her first client. Men who have HIV don t care about protection, says Esther. Men will pierce a condom without you knowing, I dont know why they do it. Maybe it feels better? I was young and did not know that men were doing this. Men would also pay you more money if they did not wear a condom. When I was pregnant with my third child, I found out that I was HIV positive. A year later, in 2003, I went on ARVs (anti-retroviral treatment for HIV). 1,275 female sex workers enrolled Esther travels to neighbouring Eastleigh, an estate in Nairobi equally hosting urban migrants, to access services provided by Uma and the National Organization of Peer Educators, two communitybased organizations collaborating with the International Organization for Migration. Esther is one of 1,275 female sex workers enrolled in an HIV and AIDS combination prevention pilot programme for migrant female sex workers where she can now access health education, HIV counselling and testing, free sexually transmitted infection screening and English language classes. The programme has given me hope, Esther says during her English class. It has helped me accept my HIV status, and given me the chance to learn English. I just wish these services were available in my community so all the other sex workers I know in Majengo can access them easily. 9. IOM Regional Coordination Mission. Newsletter. Volume 3 Issue 8. April 2012

10 Refugee Resettlement Programme Refugees board an IOM chartered aircraft from Dadaab en route to the Transit Center in Nairobi Resettlement accounts for a sizeable share of IOM Nairobi s operational programmes. In 2011, IOM Nairobi facilitated the resettlement of 6,475 refugees. Additionally, IOM facilitated transportation for 1,203 economic migrants, including scholarship students Under the Family Reunification programme, IOM facilitated travel of 1,833 individuals to different countries while 60 individuals recieved Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration. The goal is to continue out-processing resettlement cases submitted to USRAP. It is currently scheduled to commence in July , The number of refugees resettled in 2011 IOM Nairobi Operations department is getting ready to support relocation of 2,000 refugees in resettlement pipeline from Dadaab refugee camp to Kakuma. The project will be implemented in coordination with UNHCR, Department of Refugee Affairs and with support of PRM. 10. IOM Regional Coordination Mission. Newsletter. Volume 2 Issue 3. April 2012

11 Resettlement Gallery 1. Refugees from the Dadaab Refugee Camp ready to board an IOM chartered aircraft at the Dadaab airstrip IOM staff assists a young migrant to board an aircraft at the Dadaab airstrip. 3. Hanging on to daddy, IOM also provides transportation assistace to unaccompanied minors. 4. Refugees ready to depart from Dadaab. 5 & 6. Ready for take off: IOM Regional Coordination Mission. Newsletter. Volume 2 Issue 3. April

12 Capacity Building in Migration Management - Somalia IOM has undertaken numerous infrastructure renovation and construction projects such as the main terminal hall for Galkayo Airport as well as major other projects at the seaport in Modishu and Hargeisa Airport. IOM is continuing our important CBMM programme trajectory, which began in March 2012 and aiming to build on previous achievements and to further increase Somali government capacity in migration management in particular for immigration officers and coast guards to combat piracy and human trafficking in persons, with particular emphasis on vulnerable migrants through prevention, protection, prosecution and partnership building activities. Capacity Bilding Programme for Somalia The Capacity Building Programme for Somalia (CBS) funded by the Government of Japan ended on 31 March, The project covered three major areas and sub-programmatic areas: Capacity Building in Migration Management, Migration for Development in Africa (MIDA), and Livelihoods. These integrative approaches worked with various institutions, authorities, and civil society organizations in Somalia towards better managing migration capacities and policies, as well as providing on-the-ground resources to stabilize communities through economic development activities. Through these activities, the authorities capabilities in handling and monitoring immigration is improved, skills transfer and exchange of expertise is implemented, and resources to directly improve service delivery are provided. Capacity Building in Migration Management Development programmes is IOM s work in the field of REGULATING MIGRATION where the Organization is implementing its so-called Capacity Building for Migration Management CBMM programmes in support of local immigration and customs infrastructure and capacity. This is vital for the stability of Somalia and the entire region to effectively manage its currently porous borders. Over the past year with generous Japanese donor funding, IOM has equipped 10 key Somali border points land, air and seaports with a Border Management Information System, which registers passport information; IOM has provided communication and document examination devices as well as relevant IT and vital equipment such as body scanners, x-ray machines, hand held metal detectors and VHF radios. Hundreds of Somali Immigration, Civil Aviation, Customs and Coast Guard staff in all three regions of Somalia have been trained in courses to keep them up-todate on the latest internationally accepted border management procedures and standards. IOM is currently preparing to conduct in May, a comprehensive assessment of human, technical and infrastructural resources for migration and border management in the three regions of Somalia to analyze the current status of border management systems and develop recommendations for their improvement. Interviews for the programme manager position have been conducted and the candidate will be selected shortly. Closely linked to IOM s Migration in 12. IOM Regional Coordination Mission. Newsletter. Volume 3 Issue 8. April 2012

13 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IOM thanks France, ECHO, PRM, UNHCR, UNICEF and UN-CERF for their contributions in support of life-saving interventions in the areas of emergency transportation, shelter, health care and livelihoods. IOM also wishes to acknowledge the support of CANADEM and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) for the temporary deployment of emergency personnel during this crisis. Special acknowledgement also to the Government of Japan who has supported livelihood and stabilization activities for drought affected populations in northern Kenya International Organization for Migration Regional Coordiantion Mission Church Road - off Rhapta Road. Po Box 55040, Nairobi, Kenya Tel: /167; Fax: ; piunairobi@iom.int Web: