SOMALIA: Thousands displaced as nature turns its wrath on local population

by Mary-Sanyu Osire

The drought in Central and Southern Somalia continues to hit hard on the local population. This recurrent situation, compounded by Somalia’s protracted inter-clan fighting, has forced many people to flee from their homes in search of food and water. In recent days, thousands have crossed into neighboring countries.

Implication on neighboring States

Kenya lies to the South West of Somalia. Because it is one of only three neighboring countries, it has had to bear the brunt of accommodating the thousands of fleeing migrants.

UN’s Emergency Relief Coordinator, Valerie Amos, at a press conference this week: “Even as we speak, there are significant urban population movements from [Somalia’s] Hiran and Middle Shabelle regions to Kenya. The new waves of refugees from urban areas in central and southern Somalia will join the more than 430,000 Somalis who have previously fled to Kenya.”

The refugee camps in Kenya are swelling in numbers. This January alone, the country received the largest number of migrants that it has received in a single month over a period of more than two years: 8,000 women, men and children.

According to the latest humanitarian reports, Ethiopia, Somalia’s neighbor to the West, is facing the same exigencies that Kenya is struggling with. There are around 40,000 registered refugees in the Dolo Ado camp (Ethiopia).

Location: North Eastern Kenya, about 100km from the Kenya-Somalia border. A displaced Somali family awaits medical attention at a refugee camp in Dadaab. PHOTO credit/DoctorsWithoutBorders.com

Understanding the situation

UNHCR reports that over the last 20 years, drought and famine have continued to have a devastating effect on the Somalis. Over two million people in Somalia are said to be in need of humanitarian aid because of the ravaging drought and mounting violence.

According to media reports, a recent study conducted by US scientists warned that food crises in the region can only get worse, putting an estimated 17.5 million people at the risk of hunger in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. The study titled: “More Frequent Drought Likely in Eastern Africa,” blamed the famine on low agricultural development and rapid population growth. It said the increased frequency of drought in Eastern Africa was also due to rising global temperatures.

In a recent interview with IRIN news, a Somali woman who has been displaced by these pressures summed it up this way: “Everything seems to be against us.”


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Region: Africa, Horn of Africa, Somalia
Theme(s): Migration, Climate change, Refugees, Relief work

The author is a humanitarian analyst and she writes on migration. Email her on: msanyu@yahoo.com

POEMS FROM A MIGRANT’S DIARY – Ma Chère Italie

This poem is written in French and in English. It is dedicated to the five asylum seekers who lost their lives last week after Italian coastguards are reported to have deliberately rammed into their boat, causing it to split into half. The asylum-seekers were crossing from Tunisia to Egypt. According to one of the survivors, the boat was carrying 120 passengers; 85 people were saved, five died and 30 are still missing. In recent weeks, more than 5,000 asylum seekers from Tunisia have made their way to Italy. Many have lost their lives along the way. This influx of asylum seekers comes against the backdrop of growing civil unrest in Tunisia.

Ma Chère Italie
by Mary-Sanyu Osire

Ma Chère Italie,

Je n’aime pas nager,
Mais je vais nager.

Et je vais marcher;
Et je vais courir;
Et je vais ramper.

Jusqu'à chez toi!

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My Dear Italy
by Mary-Sanyu Osire

My Dear Italy,

I do not like to swim,
But I am going to swim.

And I am going to walk;
And I am going to run;
And I am going to crawl.

Until I get to you!

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(The author is a humanitarian analyst and she writes on migration. Email her on: msanyu@yahoo.com)

WEEKLY HUMANITARIAN BULLETIN: Migration Concerns in Kenya (14 – 18 February 2011)

by Mary-Sanyu Osire

This is a technical document, and in order to derive maximum value from its content, it may require the reader to have some programmatic understanding of migration issues.


WEEKLY HUMANITARIAN BULLETIN
Migration Concerns in Kenya (Africa, East Africa)
14-18 February 2011


>> KEY OVERALL DEVELOPMENTS

1) Forced Migration: Climate Change Refugees: Cross-border and internal movement of persons from drought-struck regions

In order to cope with the drought that is ravaging North Eastern Kenya, some pastoralist communities from the region crossed into Uganda with their cattle, in search of pastures and water. But their visit was short-lived after there was cholera outbreak in Uganda, and they were forced to return. This community represents Kenya’s latest Climate Change refugees. According to media reports, water pans have dried up and many boreholes are breaking down due to overuse. Several schools could be closed – it is reported that 14,000 students may drop out of school if the Government does not beef up its school feeding programs in the region. The Government of Kenya is involved in some drought mitigation activities, which include supply of water. It has also deployed a rapid response team to the area that will repair broken down boreholes and other water projects. Meanwhile, in Turkana, one person has been killed and another injured in a clash between Kenyan herders and cattle rustlers from Uganda.

IMPACT ON PROGRAMMING: In order to mitigate the impact of climate change on the pastoralist communities in North Eastern Kenya, there is an urgent need for climate change adaptation projects that will help the communities invest in alternate sources of livelihood. In addition, inter-state programs could be initiated that are aimed at facilitating the cross-border mobility of the pastoralists, and ensuring the security of the communities as they migrate. Owing to the increasing pressure on land and resources that the migrants impose on the communities that they move to, peace building programs should also be tailored into the projects.

2) Forced Migration: IDPs agitate for permanent housing

At the beginning of the month, the Government of Kenya reported that in order to pave way for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) from the 2007/2008 post-election violence to move into the 1,630 houses that it is constructing, the camps in the North Rift would be demolished by the end of this month (February). This week, some IDPs from Alko camp on the Nakuru-Eldoret highway led a mass demonstration to protest what they termed as “negligence” by the government and starvation in the camps. In other news, amidst accusations of the Government favouring certain communities in the Teldet Forest resettlement program, the Government has reported that it will buy land to resettle the 382 families in Teldet Camp. Thereafter, it will embark on the same program for the 105 displaced families in Patakwa. The families were evicted from Teldet Camp three years ago.

IMPACT ON PROGRAMMING: Programming geared towards the IDPs should focus on providing logistical support, psychosocial support, and working with the Government to ensure effective reintegration and the creation of an environment that would support long-term peace building and reconciliation efforts.

3) Regulating migration/Mixed migration: Human smuggling: Number of irregular migrants on the rise

This week, the arrest of 41 illegal migrants of Somali descent and 8 illegal migrants of Ethiopian descent served to fuel concerns about the growing of number of irregular migrants in Kenya.

IMPACT ON PROGRAMMING: Projects aimed at capacity building for migration management should continue to enhance the capacity of migration officers to regulate cross-border movement along the porous Kenya-Somalia border. The country of source should also be targeted for counter-human trafficking awareness campaigns.

Map credit/Google Images

4) Regulating migration: Capacity building in migration management: Piracy off the coast of Kenya’s shores

Media reports indicated that East Africa anti-piracy agents will be trained by Interpol to improve their forensic and investigative capacity in a new effort to curb cases of piracy in the Indian Ocean. A gap analysis conducted by Interpol identified three critical development needs in East Africa’s maritime field: Forensic facilities; Criminal investigations and Analytical capabilities.

IMPACT ON PROGRAMMING: This intervention comes at a time when Somali pirates have been travelling southwards of the Indian Ocean and towards the Gulf of Oman because of the heavy presence of international warships patrolling the Gulf of Aden. Programming should focus on training Somali youth on commercial skills that would allow for alternate means of livelihood. Furthermore, programs should also focus on building the capacity of East Africa’s anti-piracy agents to fight the piracy vice.


5) Migration and development: Return of qualified nationals: Most Kenyans in UK ‘want to come home’

Last week, Kenyans in the Diaspora expressed their interest in joining the race for positions in the next General Election. This week, the findings of a survey conducted by the Government of Kenya’s Ministry of Labour and the International Organization for Migration (Kenya country office) revealed that 80% of Kenyans residing in the UK want to return home permanently. In other news, a Labour Migration Unit that has been opened in the Ministry of Labour. The Unit was opened because of the need to protect Kenyans travelling, working and living abroad.

IMPACT ON PROGRAMMING: Programming should focus on encouraging the return of qualified nationals and helping them to reintegrate once they return home. The relevant arms of the Government should be thoroughly trained on managing returnee data collection and analysis. Furthermore, the returnees who require marketable skills training should be taken through the training in order to enhance the success of the reintegration program. Minority returnees (like the disabled) should have specific programs tailored to meet their unique needs.


>> RESPONSE PRIORITIES

The response priorities at this point in time cover: i) Climate Change adaptation for pastoralist communities in Kenya; ii) Controlling of human smuggling; ii) Resettlement of the post-election violence IDPs; iv) Piracy off the coast of the Indian Ocean and in the Gulf of Aden; v) the Return of qualified nationals.

Suggested interventions include:

Climate Change adaptation for pastoralist communities in Kenya: Rehabilitation of strategic boreholes; Supporting pastoralists to purchase camels because they survive much better in arid conditions than cattle do; Mass veterinary treatment/vaccination programs because weakened livestock are much more susceptible to disease; Fodder production and distribution; Scaling up food aid and nutrition intervention areas, as appropriate; Cash-for-money projects in key affected areas; Facilitating the cross-border mobility of the pastoralists.

Controlling of human smuggling: Anti-human smuggling awareness campaigns; strengthening border controls; Addressing the root causes of human smuggling amongst the community from the source country.

Resettlement of the post-election violence IDPs: Working hand-in-hand with the Government in order to provide permanent shelter; Long-term peace building and reintegration programs; Psycho social support; Offer livelihood opportunities; Logistical support.

Piracy off the coast of the Indian Ocean and in the Gulf of Aden: Strengthened capacity for the region’s anti-piracy agents; Alternative means of livelihood for Somali youth in order to deter them from engaging in piracy.

The Return of qualified nationals: Addressing the causes of brain drain; Strengthening the capacity of the recently established labour Migration Unit within Kenya’s Ministry of Labour; Designing attractive reintegration packages for emigrants; Linking nationals in the Diaspora to opportunities at home (including opportunities to give back to the society, opportunities for investment, etc.).


>> ANTICIPATED CHALLENGES

Climate Change adaptation for pastoralist communities in Kenya: An increase in resource-based conflict owing to the pressure that the nomads exert on the communities that host them; Increased displacement due to food insecurity may occur.

Controlling of human smuggling: Porous borders owing to limited security personnel; Migration officers’ capacity to respond to such incidents; Limited access to the most-at-risk communities in the country of source; Migration routes keep changing; It is a very ad hoc activity that is hard to anticipate; Corrupt elements at the border points who collude with smugglers.

Resettlement of the post-election violence IDPs: Highly political and sensational nature of the subject of the post-election IDPs; Limited ability to determine the genuine IDPs from the people that are just taking advantage of the situation.

Piracy off the coast of the Indian Ocean and in the Gulf of Aden: Inadequate infrastructure amongst Kenya’s anti-piracy agents; Limited access to the most-at-risk communities in the country of source.

The Return of qualified nationals: The nationals in the Diaspora have little faith in the Government’s capacity to deliver on basic social amenities.

END//


The author is a humanitarian analyst and she writes on migration. Email her on: msanyu@yahoo.com

POEMS FROM A MIGRANT’S DIARY – Qui étés-vous?

This poem is written in French and in English. It is dedicated to young migrants who are forced to take up new ways and form new identities in order to keep from antagonizing their host communities. They struggle daily to make sense of the socio-cultural pressures that engulf them in their new found homes.

(Ce poème est d’un garçon qui s’appelle Mohamed. Il immigre en autre pays avec ses parents. Il vient de Djibouti.)

Qui étés-vous?
by Mary-Sanyu Osire

Je ne sais pas.

À Djibouti, je m’appelle Mohamed.
Ici, je m’appelle Moses.

À Djibouti, je vais à la mosquée.
Ici, je vais à l’église.

À Djibouti, j’ai beaucoup d’amis.
Ici, je n’ai d’amis.

Qui je suis?
Moi, je ne sais pas.
Quand vous me regardez,
Que regardez-vous ?

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(This poem is about a boy called Mohamed. He migrated to another country with his parents. He is from Djibouti.)

Who are you?
by Mary-Sanyu Osire

I do not know.

In Djibouti, I am called Mohamed.
Here, I am called Moses.

In Djibouti, I go the mosque.
Here, I go to the church.

In Djibouti, I have many friends.
Here, I have no friends.

Who am I?
I do not know.
When you look at me,
Who do you see?

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The author is a humanitarian analyst and she writes on migration. Email her on: msanyu@yahoo.com

WOMEN AND MIGRATION: Embracing the gender dimension of migration

by Mary-Sanyu Osire

“Madam,” Amiina calls out to the Caucasian lady who has just walked through the gate. Amiina’s right hand disappears into her guntiino (the traditional dress that Somali women wear) and it hastily resurfaces with a piece of paper in firm grip. With great stealth, she scoots the bewildered visitor into a corner and starts to bombard her with requests.

“We need a visa; we fear for our lives; these are my children,” she turns round, but there is no one by her side. She swings her head to the right-hand side of the compound and throws a glaring look at the five children who are huddled in a far corner. One glance is all it takes. They scuttle to her side.

She animates her voice, raising it and lowering it, each time to emphasize different parts of her story. Amiina’s voice fades off as I walk further away.

I am at a transit centre in Nairobi, Kenya. Transit centers are places that are built to accommodate refugees as they await possible movement to countries that are willing to absorb them. With an approximate number of 440,000 refugees, Kenya hosts the fifth largest number of refugees in the world.

According to the latest World Migration report, there were an estimated 214 million international migrants in the world in 2010, a figure that represents an increase of almost 40 million in the first decade of the 21st century, and over double the number of international migrants in 1980.

In Africa, female migrants like Amiina are said to comprise 46 per cent of all migration, and according to the International Organization for Migration, this figure is set to increase. Yet women are generally neglected in migration studies; they are mostly seen as the people that are left behind, and in some cases are viewed as mere add-ons to male migration.

Amiina, and other female migrants like her, introduce the aspect of gender considerations into discussions about migration. Gender, in its simplest sense, refers to the characteristics that distinguish a man from a woman in a given society. These roles are acquired during the socialization period. The gender aspect of migration is very complex and it highlights the different reasons why women and men move, the process of migration, and the varying social, political and economic environments that each of the sexes encounter in their countries of destination.

"Stop Violence Against Migrant Women!" PHOTO/Migrante International

Around the world, the question of gender is taking centre stage in many fora, and Africa is not being left behind. In February 2009, the African Union (AU) adopted the AU Gender Policy. Prior to this, the AU had adopted several other important gender-related documents, including Article 4(1) of the Constitutive Act of the African Union, the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, and the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa. These policies are aimed at accelerating MDG 3 which highlights Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment.

Humanitarian actors in Africa are also active participants in the gender deliberations. Here in Kenya, against the backdrop of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) and following year-long consultations with national stakeholders, the United Nations (UN) system in Kenya recently embarked on a joint gender mainstreaming program. Signed into force towards the end of 2010 by 14 of the 17 UN bodies resident in Kenya, ‘The UN Joint Program on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment’ is aimed at mapping and promoting enhanced coordination of the UN systems support to national priorities in the area of gender equality and women’s empowerment in Kenya.

As the gender movement continues to gain momentum around the world, research in the field of migration and its gender dimension is advancing. This notwithstanding, much more remains to be understood about this complex issue. Very little, for example is known about what determines female migration, the new migration pressures for women and girls and the specific migration routes that they prefer to use. To this day the patterns of female migration remain scantily researched and inadequately understood.

With specific regard to female labor migrants, Gloria Moreno Fontes, a migration specialist with ILO Migration Branch, notes:

“Besides being subject to sometimes very harsh working and living conditions, migrant women workers are in some instances prohibited from marrying with local citizens, lose their jobs if they become pregnant, and are subject to pregnancy tests every six months. It is not only their status as female and non-nationals that puts women migrants in a vulnerable situation, but also the type of work they engage in. They find themselves incorporated into an already disadvantageous labour market for women, and these disadvantages intensify in the case of migrant women, especially for those who are undocumented.”

Female migrants like Amiina can no longer be ignored or clustered into one homogenous group with men because their needs are very distinct from the needs of the men. Policy makers and various stakeholders ought to be mindful of these dynamics as they shape migrant laws, and as they work towards capitalizing on the benefits that come from the migration of women.


The author is a humanitarian analyst and she writes on migration. Email her on: msanyu@yahoo.com

ASPIRATIONS ARE GOOD, BUT CAN THEY FEED A NATION? : Preparing Southern Sudan for the assimilation of her returnees

by Mary-Sanyu Osire


I shifted uneasily in my chair. It was hard to ignore the heading. It jumped off the newspaper and came right at me: “Humanitarian crisis looms as Sudanese return home”.

My mind drifted back to the previous weekend. Lual, one of my closest friends, had invited me to join him and other Southern Sudanese to celebrate the preliminary outcome of the referendum. We danced the night away in his small apartment. Between the merriment he turned to me; sweat flowing down his forehead, teeth glittering, eyes white as snow, and proclaimed: “This is what we fought for! This is what the blood was shed for! We are the new generation, and Southern Sudan is ours!”

He then floated across the room like a butterfly, moving in rhythm to the pulsating beats that were blaring from his speakers.

That night, I can swear that I heard in Lual’s voice, I felt in his touch, and I saw in his eyes the hopes and aspirations of the 8 million people who live in Southern Sudan.

"Southern Sudan is ours!" PHOTO/Tim Freccia

According to recent reports from two humanitarian aid agencies, International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Oxfam, the influx of returning Southern Sudanese is placing insurmountable strain on local communities who are already facing a shortage of basic amenities like food, water and healthcare. The two agencies reported that the situation is getting worse, and called for more attention to protect and aid civilians.

Susan Purdin, IRC’s country director in Southern Sudan: “We have an unfolding humanitarian crisis. There’s the potential for mass displacement, an upsurge in political and ethnic violence and a larger scale humanitarian emergency.”

In a snapshot, this is the current situation in Southern Sudan: 83% of Southern Sudanese live in rural areas; One out of every two Southern Sudanese lives beneath the poverty line; It is one of the poorest and least developed places on earth; Millions are dependent on food aid; Less than half the population has access to clean drinking water; Maternal mortality rates are among the worst in the world; and One in seven children dies before the age of five.

As the humanitarian aid agencies work hard to address a situation that has seen some of the returning Southern Sudanese arriving with hardly any financial support system and camping in makeshift transit centers, I would like to offer my two cents worth of advice to the policy makers in Juba.

Consider this, as you work towards assimilating the returnees:

1) Sensitize the Southern Sudanese in the Diaspora about the migration services that are available to them:

The Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) may want to consider partnering with some of the organizations that deal specifically with the movement of migrants from one country to another. With assistance from these organizations, the migrants could get help with the facilitation of their travel arrangements. This may include free bookings on commercial flights, transit permissions, escorts to transit points, as well as transit and reception assistance and onward transportation services. It is important to note that in some instances, not all migrants are eligible for these services. Restrictions may be set on migrants who, for example, are not asylum seekers in the countries in which they reside. Often, migration experts refer to this program as Assisted Voluntary Return, though this title may change from one organization to the next.

2) Conduct pre-departure information meetings:

Working through their foreign mission offices and/or with assistance from non-governmental organizations that help migrants to relocate, the government could start to conduct pre-departure information meetings for their populations in the Diaspora. These meetings would be for the purpose of disseminating factual, objective and accurate information about the situation on the ground, and the socio-economic dynamics at a micro- and macro-level. It would serve the purpose of taming some of the unrealistic expectations from citizenry who may expect much more from the young government than it may be in a position to deliver. These meetings could also be used to prepare the migrants for such probable eventualities as a rise in the price of commodities in Southern Sudan (owing to the sudden surge in their numbers) and in addition, could be used as a platform to discuss the probable strain in cultural adaptation as the migrants struggle to align the values of their past life in the Diaspora to the heritage that they will find when they return home. This cultural adaptation session may be more critical for the younger generation, some of whom could be returning home for the first time since they were born.


3) GoSS should support the work of the non-governmental organizations that are committed to rebuilding communities:

The ramifications of the two civil wars that ran for over 20 years left little for the region by way of social amenities. Over the years, re-construction of structures like schools, roads and hospitals has started. And now, with the influx of returning Southern Sudanese, the government shall need to step up its efforts to rebuild these amenities. The non-governmental organizations that are already on the ground could help the local population not only rebuild their homes but also their lives, through the provision of livelihood support mechanisms like offering training in short courses tailored to alternative means of survival.

4) Offer medical trainings on outbreak investigation and response:

Poor access to health care and lack of medical supplies contributes to the high risk of outbreaks of communicable diseases like measles, cholera and diarrhea. These and other vaccine preventable diseases should be detected early and reported in a timely and accurate fashion in order to mitigate against high risks of outbreaks. The GoSS should work closely with health partners to offer medical trainings on outbreak investigation and response. Against the backdrop of inadequate medical facilities, this matter should be treated with all the seriousness that it deserves. Furthermore, with the flood of returnees, it is possible that some communicable diseases may be carried across the borders and back to South Sudan.

In conclusion, only the Southern Sudanese know what is best for them. And humanitarian aid workers are only meant to support the work of the ruling government and the will of the local population, not to create parallel systems of operation. These suggestions are subject to the wisdom of the policy makers in Juba.

I wish my friend Lual, and all the people of Southern Sudan, the very best of all good fortune as they embark on this monumental journey. I can only imagine the degree of excitement that you carry in your bellies. Yet I find myself forced to remind you that aspiration is good, but it can not feed a hungry man, clothe a naked child, or take a woman’s child to school. Plan, plan, and plan some more. Plan all the way to the end. And after that, plan even a little bit more.


The author is a humanitarian analyst and she writes on migration. Email her on: msanyu@yahoo.com