According to the locals, the refugees have been depleting the environment, cutting down trees for charcoal. [Photo/courtesy]
Hundreds of locals in Daadab refugee camp on Thursday staged demos, demanding for the close of the camp and the occupants relocated.
The demonstrations brought operations to a standstill, as the angry residents lit borne fires as the mains gate of the United Nations and waving placards.
According to the residents, who barricaded the Daadab-Garissa road, the refugees have seriously depleted the environment owing to their charcoal burning.
They claim the refugees have been cutting down trees to aid their trade, with no clear sign of compensation from the government of the UN.
They turned away all UN officials who could not gain access to their offices.
“We are calling on UN to close its offices and move refugees out of Dadaab urgently, this is because they had brought sufferings to us without substantial benefits," said Nasibo Farah, a resident as quoted by the Standard.
The residents also complained of unfair employment opportunities, claiming the NGO organizations in the area only give employment to outsiders.
“We have been generous, we have hosted refugees for the last 26 years but this has come with grave consequences that we now need immediate intervention,” said Siyad Garat.
The government had embarked on a programme to resettle all refugees and ensure they all return to their homes, a plan that has not fully been implemented.