The European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO) is a major funder of the camps. ECHO's Director General, Peter Zangl, has recently visited Dadaab to make his own assessment of the humanitarian needs there.

Question: What is the current situation in Dadaab?
Peter Zangl (PZ): According to figures released by the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, there are around 270,000 refugees now living in Dadaab. The number of new arrivals increased dramatically from the beginning of 2008 following an intensification of fighting in Somalia. In 2008 more than 61,000 new refuges were registered while in 2009 over 72,000 arrived. In the first quarter of 2010, the arrival rate has averaged over 4,800 per month.

Q: What are conditions like for refugees in Dadaab?
PZ: One of the most striking aspects of life in Dadaab is that on the surface, it seems so normal. But that normality masks the reality of over-crowding. The three camps, Dagahaley, Ifo and Hagadera which make up Dadaab were built for just 90,000 people around twenty years ago. There is now more than three times that amount. Inevitably, with such overcrowding, the services are stretched. Water delivery is a key issue. The Dadaab area has a plentiful supply but it is becoming increasingly difficult to supply it to all the refugees. The infrastructure of the ageing water network is nearing the end of its useful life and the increase in refugees is putting further pressure on the system.

Q: What support is ECHO providing?
PZ: In 2009, ECHO provided €10 million (US$13.2m) to fund a variety of interventions in Dadaab including food aid, water and sanitation services as well as health care. Already this year, we have provided an additional €3 million (US$4m) in funding. I visited a food distribution centre, a hospital and a latrine construction project all of which ECHO is funding.

Q: What is being done to deal with the overcrowding issue?
PZ: The Kenyan government recently agreed to allocate extra land to extend the Ifo camp and it is expected that ECHO will be involved with UNHCR in the expansion programme. I visited the site of the new extension, which will accommodate around 80,000 people. This should ease the congestion considerably.

Q: What is the future for the refugees of Dadaab?

PZ: Some of the refugees, I spoke to have been living in Dadaab for over 17 years. They told me that they would not return home until the fighting has stopped. The outlook for their return in the short term is not good. In the meantime, it is important that education in the camps is looked into in order to provide a better future for the children who are living there.

The humanitarian interventions, towards which the European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO) contributes, have ensured the basic needs of this very vulnerable population are being meet. The challenge in these situations is to go beyond providing the conditions for basic survival and ensuring that the refugees have a decent standard of living.