There is a looming refugee crisis at the Dadaab camp after Jubaland administration suspended flights from Kenya, saying it was not ready to receive or resettle more returnees.
Jubaland, through the Interior minister Mohamed Darwish announced that it refused to receive the about 2,000 refugees comprising of mainly women and children, citing inadequate humanitarian support and alleged security risks as the sole basis of their decision.
“Dadaab returnees are being dumped in an open place. With this treatment, we cannot afford to keep them in this disheartening condition. Our main town of Kismayu is already full of repatriated refugees,” revealed Darwish.
However, the UNHCR Kenya Public Information officer Duke Mwencha issued that after negotiations, the semi-autonomous region of Juba allowed in the stranded returnees, but vowed not to receive more.
Mwencha stated that repatriation exercise would resume once security in the designated resettlement areas, especially in the Mogadishu capital, improves.
This emerges even as more refugees continue signing up their names with the intention to relocate to their Jubaland due to its proximity to the Kenyan borders.
The designated regions to receive the refugees are Bal-ad, Baidoa,, Belet Weyne, Jowar, Luuq, Kismayo, and Mogadishu.