IOM is poised to finish the construction of 7,500 emergency
shelters at IFO 2 extension by the 30th September, the deadline set
for completing such work.

Since the work started on 9 August 2011, more than 5,808 tents
have been erected, which represents 77 per cent of the work. IOM
construction teams will today complete the plotting and the
demarcation of the area ready for pitching up the remaining 1,672
tents.

The need to build a new camp at IFO 2 was felt when the Dadaab
refugee camp became overcrowded following the arrival of large
numbers of displaced Somalis from southern Somalia, fleeing
drought, famine and conflict.

The Dadaab camp complex, which was planned to accommodate 90,000
persons, now accommodates over 438,000 displaced persons in four
locations: Hagadera Camp, Dagahaley Camp, Ifo and Ifo Extension
Camps. An average of 14,753 displaced Somalis continue to arrive in
Dadaab every month.

IOM was approached by the UNHCR to take up the responsibilities
of plotting, demarcating and pitching all the tents in the
extension in a period of two months, from the beginning of August
to 30th September.

When shelter construction at the IFO 2 Extension Camp is finally
completed, many vulnerable Somalis, including women and children,
who are currently living in the open, will be provided with
dignified accommodation. This will contribute to reducing many
illnesses associated with living without adequate shelter
particularly among the children and minors, such as pneumonia, and
other respiratory and water-borne diseases.

Meanwhile, IOM continues to provide safe and dignified transport
assistance to Somali migrants from the outskirts of Dagahaley Camp
in Dadaab to the newly commissioned IFO 2 extension camp. More than
14,000 displaced Somalis have been assisted to move to the new
accommodation.

These are vulnerable displaced Somalis who have travelled on
foot for many weeks from Southern Somalia. When they crossed the
border into Kenya they settled outside the main camps for lack of
space. IOM is targeting to transport and relocate 30,000 displaced
Somalis.

So far, more than 43,000 Somali migrants in both Kenya and
Ethiopia have been transported, relocated or reunified with their
relatives in various camps.

In Ethiopia, where IOM is providing transport, health capacity
building and medical technical support in close coordination with
UNHCR and the government Agency for Refugees and Returnees Affairs,
ARRA. The organization has to date transported more than 20,000
Somali migrants at a rate of 1,000 a day from the transit centre in
Dolo Ado to Hilaweyn refugee camp.

The organization has also enabled family reunifications between
the camps by providing transport for members of families to join
their relatives in other camps. So far, more than 1,000 families
have been re-unified with their relatives through the service.

Meanwhile, IOM health team continues to support ARRA in
providing primary health care delivery at Melkedida camp. Together
with UNHCR, UNICEF and other agencies, IOM has taken part in a mass
vaccination campaign against measles and polio in Melkadida camp,
which ended on 22nd August, 2011. Over 2,000 children were
inoculated against measles and polio at the IOM post.

For more information, please contact:

Judith Szabo

IOM Kenya

Tel: +254 734 860 286

E-mail: "mailto:jszabo@iom.int">jszabo@iom.int

or

Demissew Bizuwerk

IOM Ethiopia

Tel: +251.11.6611117 ext 455

E-mail: "mailto:bdemissew@iom.int">bdemissew@iom.int