A mapping technique commissioned by IOM has found that 85 per cent
of drought-affected Somali refugees and host pastoralist
communities are using nearly 1,230 kilometres of unofficial border
routes to reach help at Kenya's Dadaab refugee camp, highlighting
the many dangers they face as a result.

The aim of the assessment using the Geographical Information
System (GIS) mapping technique was to identify the routes taken by
refugees and pastoralist communities to reach Dadaab, located 100
kilometres inside the eastern Kenya/Somali border.

Carried out in late September, the assessment was also to
identify measures needed to counteract the rape, theft, extortion
and sometimes death faced by the refugees and pastoralist
communities due to dehydration and lack of medical attention along
the route.

According to UNHCR, about 152,000 Somali refugees have fled to
Dadaab since January this year. Only 10 per cent or 120 kilometres
of official routes – which lie along the main road from Harar
to Garissa - was being used by the refugees to reach Dadaab.

However, both unofficial and official routes lacked requisite
water provisions, medical facilities, rest points or security
monitoring centres, leaving refugees and pastoralists at the mercy
of unscrupulous guides who extort large sums of money to provide
navigation services.

The IOM assessment recommends establishing mobile water points,
particularly along official tracks, to address the dehydration
suffered by the refugees and pastoralists. In addition, it
recommends active and passive disease surveillance during and after
the migration process to curb the spread of disease amongst
accompanying livestock.

To address the rape and extortion of refugees, the report
recommends the establishment of a police task force in partnership
with host communities along the pastoralist migratory routes.

With rising tension, and at times conflict between host
pastoralist communities and refugees over scarce water resources,
the assessment recommends the establishment of an effective early
warning system to mitigate the impact of drought and to learn more
on available water sources used by both groups.

"This has been an extremely valuable exercise as it will enable
not just IOM but also other humanitarian and government agencies to
identify areas that need urgent assistance and resources," says IOM
Chief of Mission, Ashraf El Nour.

For more information contact:

Japheth Kasimbu

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