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Letter from the Editor

Letter from the editor

Dear KANERE readers here and abroad,

First and foremost, I want to thank you for your loyalty to both exile journalists in KANERE and our supporters who find our work meaningful out of Kakuma refugee camp.

The past four months were generally calm inside the camp though a few cases of insecurity incidents have been reported in parts of the settlement. However, life was marked by different phenomena like natural calamities. The heavy downpour between the months of March to May caused flooding that resulted in five refugees and two members of the host community being drowned. March to June received plenty of rain, it was mild, and it was cold, warm and flooding. That is all about the weather.

In this edition: The influx of new arrivals to Kakuma following the communal conflicts, bombings and border violence for Sudanese. For Somalis violent conflicts, suicide attacks and inhuman crimes committed by Al-Shabaab insurgents are still forcing thousands of children and women into the 20 year old camp of Dadaab which now holds the shameful name of being the biggest refugee camp in the world. Dadaab Camp explosions and kidnappings are continuing and have paralyzed the humanitarian life saving operation in that camp which holds an estimated population of 500,000 refugees by mid July. In Turkana County the host communities saw a new dawn of hope after oil was discovered in the region. Several other stories constituted our publication. Yet again thousands of the camp residents turned up to commemorate the World Refugee Day in Kakuma camp this year.

KANERE has been running on a voluntary basis and amicable funding for the continuation of a refugee voice out of Kakuma has been stonewalled. As you can imagine, volunteers are working without payment. However, we feel a tremendous sense of responsibility to continue publishing for our audience – a role represented by the reporting project. We all try to do the best we can with no resources. As this situation is critical for the paper, we appeal to those who better understand KANERE to take a step forward in support of the refugee voice.

I’m happy to say that we appreciate the legal back up from press freedom and defenders’ groups. We seek potential supporters who will always stand with us, and should continue to be authentic in times ahead.

We direct and advise our audience and readers at internship to visit our archives online to find past and current editions of KANERE. And we remain as ever focused on balanced, independent and quality reporting.

I welcome any and all suggestions, critical questions or criticisms in relation to KANERE’s work. We also invite news tips from camp residents, members of the host community, humanitarian officials and our readers from abroad.

Thank you very much for reading,

Sincerely,

KANERE editor in chief

Categories
Quotes of the Month Uncategorized

Quotes of the month for March to June 2012

“We were told to build walls 3 months ago; my children are still living in the tent. The sun is burning in this plastic,”

– H. Biyamungu, who arrived in February/ “Increased camp Population”

“In Kenya refugees have rights. We advocate that their legal protection is upheld while they live in Kenya,”

– RCK local NGO Manager/ “World Refugee Day”

I arrived in Kakuma on 3rd July 1992. I feel like I have lived for 100 years in the camp. In such life, one cannot view life in other end except UNHCR. A life where one depend worse of all.

– Lueth M. a primary school teacher/ “Community Talking Point”

“I fled from Mankeen in Unity State when I heard gunshots in the dead of the night, that morning we were also bombed by military plane,”

– Nyakwoth a south Sudanese new arrival at DRA office/ “Increased Camp Population”

“At the moment there’re already two wells dug. Oil resource will be a national wide development. Bi-lateral understandings with investors are already on,”

– Mr. Wekesa Wafula – Turkana District Information Officer/ “Oil Discovery in Turkana”

“We have reported the matter but the police here were not serious with their job. We don’t trust them either,”

– An anonymous Nubian youth/ “Sudanese inter – community conflict”

“We have asked UNHCR about the lack of bumps on this road. Security patrol vehicles are always over speeding yet there not been insecurity alarm every hours of the day. It scares everyone,”

– A Somali refugee leader in Kakuma 1/ “Road Repair in Kakuma”

“We don’t keep data of natural calamities. Ten people may get drowned but we might only receive three bodies,”

– affirmed a clinical official at the IRC/ “Drowning”

“Today reminds refugees of our flight. It is very sad that we had no option in life, however, I am thankful about the support both UNHCR and Kenya government is providing,”

– Abdikadir M. a Somali refugee leader/ “World Refugee Day”

“I was freely walking from church. I was beaten by 6 Nubians. I will not be happy in my life now,”

– Yom B. a victim of conflict/ “Sudanese inter – community conflict”

“I was using motorbike. It suddenly landed me in a ditch. My mouth hit a hard ground and I lost two teeth,” 

                  – Lami, N. a Sudanese woman at Kakuma 1 zone 3 block 6/ “Road Repair in Kakuma”

Refugee Day should be commemorated in a special way by giving refugees special gifts or special food ration during the distribution cycle rather than inviting them to dance, I hate that practice.

– Ingabine Rose a Congolese/ “Community Talking Point”

“The good result was as a result of hard work. Our pupils were also serious,”

– Chala head teacher at Lokitang School/ “A camp primary school emerged best in KCPE 2011”

Categories
Human Rights News Updates

Refugee trauma counseling

 

Residents of Kakuma Camp are in need of trauma counseling

Categories
News Updates

Increased population in Kakuma camp

An influx of new arrivals from Sudan, South Sudan, Great Lakes and other countries and for the first time an Iranian

Categories
News Updates

Drowning

The heavy downpour in the months of April and May has led to seven people drowning

Categories
Humanitarian Services News Updates

Road repair in Kakuma

The main road that connects the Humanitarian premises and the refugee camp settlement is currently under repair.

Categories
Community and Culture News Updates

World Refugee Day

Theme of the year: One person forced to flee is too many!

Categories
Education News Updates

A primary school in the camp emerged best in KCPE

Lokitang Primary School in Kakuma Camp emerged best in Kenya Certificate of Primary Education in Turkana West

Categories
Peace and Security Uncategorized

Sudanese inter-community conflict

In Kakuma camp a conflict between two Sudanese communities has resulted in one dead and several others seriously injured.

Categories
Kakuma Town and Kenya

Oil discovery in Turkana

   The most marginalized Turkana population sees a new dawn of hope as oil is discovered in the region