Kakuma (Kenya) : five months without ration

Refugees in Kakuma camp in Kenya denounce a worrying delay of more than five months in the distribution of their additional aid in cash. They claim that poverty “hits us hard”. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

Refugees from Kakuma camp in Kenya went to throw their bank cards in front of the UNHCR offices in a sign of their displeasure at the delay in their aid.

“Imagine, we are entering the sixth month of arrears. Normally we are given 100 shillings per head per month for men and boys and 350 shillings per head for women. This money helped us to buy firewood, cooking salt, soap or female sanitary napkins. So they think that after six months without being fed, how are we living?”, ask Burundians met on the spot.

In this camp, families consider a girl as an important source of income.

“Now we are giving birth to more children and the more daughters we have, the luckier we are because they are the ones who receive the most money”, say fathers of families as if to tease each other.

Refugees who confided in SOS Médias Burundi ask the UNHCR to “remember us to ensure our protection”, otherwise, they accuse, the UN agency will have failed in its mission.

The UNHCR and other humanitarian NGOs operating in the East African region have raised an issue of lack of funding lately.

Kakuma has more than 200,000 refugees of several nationalities, including more than 20,000 Burundians.