In Dadaab, families arrive from Somalia fleeing drought and conflict

Markabo Ali, 37, is mother to eight children. She used to live in Baidoa, Somalia, but left because of the prolonged drought. Now, she lives with her five daughters and young sister at Dadaab refugee camp, just across the border in Kenya. She sits in a small makeshift hut made from branches and plastic sheets, in an area of Ifo camp for new arrivals who are waiting to be assigned accommodation.

It’s a hot, sunny afternoon but the long drought has recently been replaced by rain and floods. Markabo’s hut provides some shelter from the sun but looks unlikely to keep the rain out. Nearby, children swim in a new lake where the road used to be – this part of the camp is now only accessible to large vehicles such as land cruisers and trucks.

“We came from Somalia six months ago because of the drought. I couldn’t get work or find food for my children,” Markabo explains. “I heard there were organisations supporting families in Dadaab. The journey here was tough. We walked for seven days to get here. The children’s father stayed behind.”

When the family arrived in Dadaab after their 600km trek, Markabo was surprised by the level of support she received. “It was better here than I expected,” she recalls. “The people we came with and our neighbours in the camp helped us. We also got help from organisations distributing supplies. When we got here, my children were sick and malnourished. They were taken to hospital and treated for free.”

The family was identified by a child protection volunteer from Terre des hommes, trained by Unicef, because Habibo was travelling without her parents. Her case was reviewed by a panel that assesses the best interests of the child, which decided that she could remain with Markabo. The family received food vouchers worth 6,000 Kenya shillings per month. Within two weeks of arrival, Habibo was enrolled in school and given a kit containing a uniform, bag, books and pens.

“I’m glad that I can now get food and water and go to school, unlike in my home country,” Habibo says. “In Somalia, we were always hungry. I feel happy here.”

The drought that recently affected the Horn of Africa was the worst in four decades. It was driven by climate change and saw five consecutive poor or failed rainy seasons. Many families lost their cattle, crops and livelihoods, putting children’s lives at risk from malnutrition. Then, the first rainy season of 2023 went to the other extreme, with above average rain and flash floods across the same region.

On top of the drought, conflict and insecurity also drove people across the border from Somalia to Kenya. Many displaced families ended up in the Dadaab refugee complex, one of the largest in the world. It is managed by UNHCR and is currently home to over 370,000 refugees and asylum seekers, more than half of them children.

Unicef works in Dadaab to support children in the areas of nutrition, health, education and child protection. Last month, Unicef executive director Catherine Russell travelled to Dadaab, to meet newly arrived refugees from Somalia at Ifo Refuge Camp.

“It’s been a terrible situation because of two things,” she says. “One, the drought and two, different areas of conflict. People have been driven from their homes. It’s just been devastating for them. They come here with virtually nothing. The international community is trying to help them, but the needs are really immense.”

With the arrival of rains marking the end of three years of drought, children in Kenya and Somalia finally have a brighter future to look forward to. But it will take at least a year for children’s nutrition situation to recover. This is due to the time needed for crops and pasture to grow, animals to feed and breed, and families’ livelihoods to recover.

For Markabo, the relief she felt on arriving at Dadaab is tempered by anxiety about her family’s future. “It’s not easy to leave your home out of hunger, but I felt safe when I came here,” she says. “I’m very grateful for the support I’ve received, but I’m worried about what will happen to us next.”