Healthcare Needs Assessment

Somali refugees continue to migrate to Kenya at a rate of 1,100 per day, adding to 910,000 Somalis currently seeking refuge in neighbouring countries.  The Refugee camps in Dadaab, IFO, Dagahaley, and Hagedera are at breaking points with thousands of refugees requiring assistance, and with limited resources International aid agencies can’t help them all.

The map clearly shows the level of food insecurity in North Eastern Kenya. As a direct result of food shortages the number of people suffering from acute and severe malnutrition has increased dramatically. In Kenya there have been 269,500 cases of severe and acute malnutrition and the number will rise as long as there are food shortages in the area. 

Due to the cramped living conditions that refugees face in the camps, North Eastern Kenya is on high alert for an outbreak of water or vector-borne diseases. Mandera is currently facing an outbreak of Dengue fever targeting 5000 individuals, and the disease is rapidly spreading across North Eastern Kenya.

Children across Northern Kenya require Measles and Polio vaccinations due to the outbreak of Polio on August 30^th. Although no new cases of Polio have been confirmed, many children still need to be vaccinated against Polio because they never received the vaccination at birth.

The long walk that the refugees undertake to reach the refugee camps of North Eastern Kenya, and the length of time they have to wait to be registered to join the refugee camps often causes many refugees to fall sick and require immediate medical attention. The extreme heat and fatigue from the journey to North Eastern Kenya and the death of young children on the way leaves many women needing professional assistance from social workers.

The refugees in North Eastern Kenya require immediate medical assistance, and furthermore many refugees require treatment from preventable blindness, such as cataract. While evaluating the medical needs in North Eastern Kenya, Dr Muhsin Sheriff said, “In Dadaab, the problems caused by blindness like any other health issues are exacerbated and accumulated in a serious manner, to the extent that it has become a familiar phenomenon in the streets of Dadaab district and refugee camps. The people cannot afford the cost associated with cataract operations to restore their sight and the government’s capabilities are limited.”