Nairobi, KENYA. November 16 — Heavy rains and flooding are causing havoc in Dadaab refugee camps in north-east Kenya and further exacerbating an already precarious humanitarian situation, says CARE International, lead agency for the three camps.

"What was supposed to be the short rainy season has turned into a widespread disaster affecting more than 100,000 people," says Mohammed Qazilbash, senior programme manager for refugee assistance for CARE in Kenya. "Food storage facilities have been flooded, latrines have collapsed and a significant number of shelters, including one wing of the hospital in Ifo camp, have crumbled."

The local population in Dadaab - home to more than 165,000 displaced people - has also been severely affected, according to CARE staff, as the town's latrines have broken down, leading to extensive contamination of the area and serious repercussions on overall hygiene standards.

"Access to safe water is a major concern under the current circumstances," explains Qazilbash. "Fuel supply to run the boreholes that CARE manages in and around the refugee camps has become scarce due to logistical and transport constraints." There is a potential for disease outbreak if the situation gets out of hand, adds Qazilbash. Children swimming in dirty waters and the possibility of unclean water consumption is a risk that needs to be addressed.

Thanks to a donation of water tanks by UNICEF, CARE has been able to provide clean water and make communities aware of how to use them. Information campaigns on safe water access and basic hygiene and sanitation practices have also been carried out by UNHCR and other aid agencies. Food distribution on behalf of the World Food Programme (WFP) is scheduled to start again this week. However household food storage remains a concern because of flooding and high levels of humidity in the atmosphere that are likely to spoil food supplies.

Primary and secondary schools in two of the refugee camps (Ifo and Dagahaley) have been closed down and are being used as temporary shelters for those refugees whose settlements have been flooded. A total of fifty latrines have collapsed in schools. Nineteen classrooms remain water logged, while many textbooks were soaked in water and ruined. Despite current challenges, CARE and other agencies have managed to ensure that students were able to take their end of year examinations.

"We are also temporarily relocating some refugees that have been affected by the floods to higher grounds to ensure their safety," says Bud Crandall, country director for CARE in Kenya. "We recommend that relocation to areas less prone to flooding be explored as soon as this emergency is over."

Depending on the availability and the flexibility of funding sources, CARE is also planning to distribute non food items to the refugees and the Dadaab population. These include plastic sheets, mats, blankets, mosquito nets and jerry cans.

For more information or to schedule an interview with CARE staff in Dadaab, please contact regional press officer Bea Spadacini in Nairobi at + 254 (0) 725 22 10 36 or Fiona Turnbull in London on + 44 207 934 9315.

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