Friday November 4, 2016
Another major aid group is warning Kenya not to close the world’s largest refugee camp, saying it is pressuring tens of thousands of Somali refugees to return to a deeply unstable country.
A new Refugees International report says Somali refugees in the Dadaab camp in Kenya report feeling pressured to leave for Somalia, where attacks by extremist group al-Shabab continue and hunger is widespread.
The report says Kenya should lift its Nov. 30 deadline to close the camp, which has existed for a quarter-century and holds more than 250,000 people.
Groups including Doctors Without Borders, Human Rights Watch and the Norwegian Refugee Council also have expressed alarm in recent weeks over Kenya’s reported pressure on Somali refugees to leave. They say Somalia remains insecure and aid is limited.