The global aid body Sunday released a statement which said five consecutive failed rainy seasons have left the Horn of Africa nation on the verge of famine and added that Dadaab refugee camp housed at least 6,000 Somalis since the start of the year.
Dr. Martin Ngao, the top medical official for the International Rescue Committee (IRC) said new arrivals should carry a-minimum signature.
“The new arrivals bring a scarcity to the already little resources that are available for the population here!” said Dr. Ngao.
“In the past year, 32 children have died of malnutrition in the section of the camp run by the IRC,” said Ngao.
The doctors’ sentiments were echoed by Dahir Suleiman Ali, a 68-year-old agronomist.
“This was the worst drought I have ever seen,” said Dr. Suleiman.
Through a statement released Sunday, the IRC said the U.N. refugee agency received approximately $5.5 billion to address aid needed in northern Kenya.
“The overcrowding is also driving the spread of communicable diseases like cholera. There have been hundreds of cases since October,” added the IRC’s statement.
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In Kenya, Somali Refugees Face Malnutrition, Cholera