Should Kenya allow another refugee camp?
The drought in East Africa has been making headlines for the last few weeks. Somalis are streaming into Kenya due to the worsening situation in their own country.
Thousands of are heading for Dadaab, a town in northern Kenya which already has three camps hosting an estimated 370,000 refugees. The existing camps are overflowing with long term residents and the newcomers: they were built to accommodate only 90,000. Many people have trekked for days or weeks and are in desperate need of food, water and medical attention.
The Kenyan government has so far refused to allow a new camp to open, even though it has been built and ready to receive refugees for the past two years. The argument is that it will act as a magnet, and pose a risk to national security.
The Islamist insurgent group al-Shabaab controls much of the territory of Somalia from which the refugees are fleeing.
At this point should Kenya allow another camp?
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Comment number 1.
At 17:08 13th Jul 2011, maloms wrote:I think kenya has done a lot already other country's need to assist kenya with this proglem.
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Comment number 2.
At 18:00 13th Jul 2011, Hula Dennis wrote:Kenya can open another camp provided they have what it takes.
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Comment number 3.
At 19:37 13th Jul 2011, maloms wrote:Let's blame the rebels not kenya because they have their own problem's to deal with,and they have done a lot already to help
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Comment number 4.
At 07:01 14th Jul 2011, anony wrote:Considering that Kenya has way too many somalis we might as well allow somalia to become a part of Kenya, if not we shall have too many problems, they are already a visible minority there.
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Comment number 5.
At 07:43 14th Jul 2011, Alfatih Abdulrahim Babay wrote:Kenyan government please Please help these refugees, they are suffer a lot from war and drought
The children are malnourished, also Somali neighboring countries and the international community should
Play role to help Somali refugee
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Comment number 6.
At 14:24 14th Jul 2011, na1025 wrote:Absolutely no if it threatens the security of Keyans,because the kenyan people matter the most than strangers who do not even value life or how important is it to them.Let Al-shabaab keep them and again,helping some one does not necessary mean you should let your high earned peace go in flame or compromise your very existent
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Comment number 7.
At 12:21 15th Jul 2011, payedoe wrote:Kenya is now overwhelm by the number of Somali refugees. It could be any nation. In reality Kenyans are afraid of the stigma attached to some of these guys-bombs
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Comment number 8.
At 12:25 15th Jul 2011, payedoe wrote:I wonder what Al-shabaad is doing to save the lives of ordinary somalis who they claim to be liberating. This is the time for them to dig into their pockets and feed these hungry somalis and they will recognize them as true liberators not bombs and suicide bombings.
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Comment number 9.
At 16:22 15th Jul 2011, atama albert wrote:It is good move but they shld create the camp for the sake of creating but give them the necessities because the situation from is not good for them to live in.
atama from arua uganda
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Comment number 10.
At 04:33 16th Jul 2011, yemti ndienla wrote:In as much as i would urge the Kenyan authority to treat these refugees with human face and accept them, the security of all nation reigne suprim. without such, even the refugees would not be there.
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Comment number 11.
At 03:51 18th Jul 2011, Catherine_Wanjiku wrote:From a humanitarian perspective, yes, Kenya should open another camp.
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Comment number 12.
At 07:33 18th Jul 2011, mcvostin wrote:If the international community is serious about Somalia they should look for lasting peace in the country, Kenya should not carry all the burden let the Somalis be settled in camps in their territory.
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