The International Organization for Migration commissioned a mapping service that would identify the needs of refugees and pastoralist communities en route to the Dadaab camp in Kenya.
The service, which made use of a Geographical Information System mapping technique, found that 85 percent of refugees and pastoralists trying to reach the Dadaab camp make use of 1,230 kilometers of unofficial border routes and only 120 kilometers of official routes. Both routes lack water and resting points, and medical and security monitoring centers, making refugees vulnerable to dehydration, rape, theft, extortion and sometimes death.
“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,” IOM Chief of Mission Ashraf El Nour said.
In response to the service’s findings, the IOM recommended the establishment of mobile water points and a police task force, particularly along official tracks. It also recommended active and passive disease surveillance during and after the migration process to curb the spread of diseases. And as for conflicts between groups over scarce water resources, the organization recommended the establishment of an effective early warning system to mitigate the impact of a looming drought and to spread awareness on available water sources.
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