Q & A on flooding with William Ejalu, Head of Sub-Office, Dadaab

In March and April this year, Kenya has been battered by stronger-than-usual rains and heavy flooding, caused by the El Niño weather system. For refugees in the Dadaab refugee camp, this has brought misery and upheaval.  

William Ejalu is the Head of Sub-Office in Dadaab, Garissa County. Here, William answers questions on UNHCR’s response to the floods.  

How would you describe the situation in the Dadaab refugee camps in April and early May?  

William: Garissa County has been hit hard by prolonged rainfall, which has resulted in flooding across the refugee camp complex. We estimate that more than 20,000 people have been displaced from their homes and shelters. Many of these families are seeking safety in nearby schools, or with friends and relatives who live on higher ground.  

How is UNHCR supporting refugees? 

William: UNHCR offers support, protection and assistance to the entire camp population. We work closely with the local Government and a range of partners, to assess the needs of the camp population and respond.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of our activities:  

Protection response: UNHCR and its partners monitor the protection risks for refugees. This means we speak with refugee families to understand what kind of vulnerabilities they face and how we can best support them. This includes people with disabilities and the elderly. UNHCR also increased access to our help desks in the camps, to allow refugees to approach us with their concerns.  

Core relief items: As the heavy rains worsened, UNHCR prepositioned stocks of 10,000 core relief items in our warehouse in Dadaab. Things like mattresses, blankets, mosquito nets, jerrycans, water purifiers, soap and kitchen sets. We then started distributing these items to families and individuals who are most in need.     

Water, sanitation and hygiene: UNHCR works with the organization Peace Winds Japan and we are conducting disinfection for latrines and distributing water purifiers to ensure safe drinking water for refugees.   

Shelter: Seven schools have become necessary safe shelters for many refugees as their own homes have become submerged.  

Communication: Sharing messages and emergency updates with refugees in the camp is absolutely critical to our response. UNHCR works with things like bulk SMS distribution and one-on-one dialogue sessions with members of the community. We have developed important key messages on things like flood safety, assistance and school reopening schedules.  

Livelihood: Flood damage has disrupted the supply chain, leading to significant price increases in commodities. UNHCR is likely to continue monitoring and providing support to address these challenges. 

Is UNHCR concerned about spread of diseases or a health outbreak? 

William: When flooding strikes, outbreaks of diseases is a concern. UNHCR and partners are assessing damage to water, sanitation and hygiene facilities and we have started rehabilitation as the flood water subsides.  

Mosquito nets, water purifiers and soap are all part of our core relief items being distributed to families. In case of a cholera outbreak, isolation centres have been established at different locations.   

UNHCR, along with our health partners, has ensured ambulances are on standby in Dadaab for emergency transport and air ambulance service are available for critical medical evacuations. 

What kind of preparations are in place to deal with things like flooding and drought? 

William: Unfortunately, extreme weather events are now predictable in Garissa County. Before the flooding hit, UNHCR and partners shared flood and health safety messages to the refugee communities and prepositioning ambulances across the camps to ensure people have access to emergency transportation. 

UNHCR works and coordinates with the County Government and a range of partners in Dadaab on contingency planning. It is because of this pre-planning that the response to the recent flooding was immediate.  

This is about addressing the long-term challenges posed by flooding and drought and coming up with sustainable solutions which can help to minimize future risks and vulnerabilities of both refugees and host communities in Garissa County. Activities we work on include watershed management, land-use planning, and climate-resilient infrastructure development.  

What more could we do to build the resilience of refugees and host communities? 

William: Moving forward, we are looking at other mechanisms including early warning systems to allow for timely alerts to impending floods and droughts which would enable communities to evacuate.  

Building resilient infrastructure such as flood barriers, water storage facilities, and irrigation systems helps could also help manage water resources effectively during periods of excess or scarcity. 

Providing refugees and host communities with training on disaster preparedness, including evacuation procedures, first aid, and water conservation practices, would enhance their ability to cope with and recover from natural disasters. 

Encouraging livelihood diversification through initiatives such as agricultural training, microfinance support, and alternative income-generating activities can reduce dependency on rain-fed agriculture and mitigate the impact of droughts on food security. 

How does climate change affect refugees in Kenya? 

William: Climate change continues to cause extreme weather and unfortunately, Kenya and other countries in the region, face the brunt of this. We battle with extreme drought and then heavy rains and flooding. This has a huge effect on the refugee and host community groups here in Garissa County – it can lead to tensions with dwindling resources, increased poverty due to loss of livelihoods and even displacement due to flooding.