Refugees at the Dadaab camp. Some refugees are ready to leave the camp to their Somalia homeland. [aljazeera.com]More than 200 refugees of Somali origin are set to leave the Dadaab Refugee Camp for Somalia.
The 250 will add to the 74,000 who have already been repatriated to the horn of Africa country in a move that aims at decongesting the campsite according to the UN.
Those leaving are part of a group that staged a go-slow three weeks ago complaining of unfavorable living conditions in the camp that has existed for 27 years.
Operations at the camp were paralysed three weeks ago following protests by the host community against United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), demanding several issues to be addressed.
The go-slow was occasioned by complaints that distribution of food scheduled to start on December 1 to 8 in Hagadera had been delayed due to security concerns.
A section of leaders and elders led by Dmajale MCA Diriye Abdi held a press conference where they said no activity will continue until UNHCR replaces the head of operations at the refugee camp, Jean Bosco and his assistant Ivana Unluova.
They accuse the two of ‘high handedness’ and doing things without consulting and involving the local leadership, and lack of respect to the host community.
Bosco on Tuesday said another batch of 300 refugees will be ferried back to Somalia before January.