Kenya: Thousands still Displaced

 

IDPs relocating from Eldoret ASK IDP camp on 9 October 2008. [Photo by OCHA]

Approximately 500,000 people were displaced by the wave of widespread violence that followed the December 2007 presidential elections. Rioting and looting broke out in cities and towns, particularly in the west of the country and in and around Nairobi.  Characterized by an ethnic dimension, this violence forced many to take refuge in their ethnic homelands for security, despite the lack of adequate services to meet their needs.

One year later over 200,000 IDPs have returned home but 54,000 displaced people remain in 161 transit camps. Although most IDP camps have been closed, the proliferation of transit sites shows that internal displacement persists and that no durable solution has been secured for thousands of people.

Displacement is not a new phenomenon in Kenya. Before the post election violence, it was estimated that there were up to 350,000 IDPs owing to political, economic and environmental dynamics as well as more localized clashes between communities. Durable solutions have remained elusive for many of these IDPs.

Read more on OCHA Kenya