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RR RUEHDE RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHNR #1616/01 2090757
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 280757Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0515
INFO RUCNSOM/SOMALIA COLLECTIVE
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFIUU/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 NAIROBI 001616 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/E AND A/S CARSON 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAID PREF SOCI KWMN KE SO
SUBJECT: SOMALIA - Report from Dadaab: Women's Bleak Reality 
 
¶1.  Summary:  While Dadaab's 287,000 refugees are all suffering from 
tremendously overstretched resources and services, women are 
disproportionately affected by the difficult conditions and daily 
challenges of camp life.  The most pressing issues identified by the 
women and girls in Dadaab include: sexual and gender-based violence, 
female genital mutilation, lack of availability and access to 
education, and deteriorating health.  Across the board, health 
conditions and indicators in Dadaab are currently far below the 
standard for emergency situations.  On a recent visit to Dadaab, the 
women with whom we spoke all agreed that camp overcrowding has 
exacerbated the already dire situation they face.  End Summary. 
 
--------------------------------- 
Women Disproportionately Affected 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  Kenya's Dadaab refugee camp - made up of Dagahaley, Ifo, and 
Hagadera camps - was originally built in the early 1990s to 
accommodate 90,000 people.  Today Dadaab stands as the world's 
largest refugee camp, sheltering more than 287,000 persons.  Over 
6,500 new arrivals continue to pour in each month, 50% of whom are 
children. Land, infrastructure, and resources - including food, 
water, latrines, education, and health services - are tremendously 
overstretched.  The daily conditions of life in Dadaab are dire, but 
women and their children are overwhelmingly affected by the violence 
and poor living standards in the camps.  On July 20-22, Embassy 
representatives visited Dadaab and spoke with women's groups, 
recently arrived refugees, and women and their daughters who have 
been living in Dadaab for almost two decades. 
 
¶3.  Nearly every woman with whom we spoke noted that "the problems 
women have are many," and identified sexual and gender-based 
violence (SGBV) as a top priority.  According to UNHCR officials in 
Dadaab, SGBV cases more than doubled in 2008 from the year before. 
The majority of cases, however, go unreported, as women lack 
confidence in protection and prosecution services, and also fear 
stigmatization from the community.  A limited security presence in 
the camps also presents a challenge, compounded by the lack of 
female police officers. 
 
¶4.  Members of the Together Women group in Ifo told us of recent 
incidences of rape when women travel to the bush to fetch firewood. 
Because resources are overstretched, firewood is no longer provided 
and women are often the ones who go to look for it.  (Note: Firewood 
is not currently being provided because UNHCR is still in 
negotiations with local officials on the price per ton.  There has 
been no firewood contract in effect since January.  End note.) 
Women face severe risk, and are often raped or abused by men en 
route to areas where they might find wood.  Further, women who are 
raped often face a double victimization, as they are often shunned 
by their family.  A middle-aged woman from the Circle of Friends 
organization, a group that addressed SGBV in the Hagadera camp, told 
us that her husband divorced her when he found out she was raped.  A 
majority of women in the camps are divorced or widowed, often solely 
responsible for a large number of family members and children. 
 
¶5.  Domestic violence is another common problem.  A young man who is 
a member of the Men Against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) group in 
Ifo camp, noted that "some males think that their wives are their 
property. . .they think that women are like hens, and they can hit 
them because they are their wives."  A woman who is a member of the 
Parents Against FGM group in Ifo noted that "there are not many 
supportive men in the camps, and not many who know or understand 
women's rights." Because women are often most vulnerable, a "safe 
haven" was constructed in Ifo to offer physical safety to women who 
have been victimized or face severe security threats. 
 
---------------------------- 
Female Genital Mutilation: 
An Almost Universal Practice 
---------------------------- 
 
¶6.  Despite major campaigns to counter the traditional practice, FGM 
continues to be a major issue in Dadaab.  Estimates suggest that 
over 96 percent of all Somali women in the camps undergo this 
practice.  FGM is illegal in Kenya, so women opt to perform FGM 
privately, including the traditional celebrations that accompany the 
ritual.  The practice, while almost universal, has been driven 
underground in the camps.  The pressure to circumcise daughters is 
still very strong, partly because of the misconception that it is 
sanctioned by the Quran, as well as the belief that an uncircumcised 
girl will never find a husband. 
 
¶7.  Parents who choose to leave their daughters uncircumcised face 
alienation from the community, and are often accused of rejecting 
their culture and religion.  Young girls who are uncircumcised often 
drop out of school due to verbal and physical abuse.  One father 
moved with his five daughters from the Hagadera camp to the Ifo camp 
so that he could escape the harassment he faced for not accepting 
 
NAIROBI 00001616  002 OF 003 
 
 
the practice.  Leaving daughters uncircumcised also creates tensions 
within families when there is disagreement on the importance of 
circumcision.  There are a few parents in the camp willing to 
undergo the discrimination and harassment that accompanies having 
uncircumcised daughters, but many find it easier to succumb to 
community pressure, fearing for the safety of their families. 
 
¶8.  There is some progress in the fight against FGM.  Many community 
organizations, religious leaders and community elders have been 
vocal on the issue, emphasizing that FGM is not prescribed by the 
Quran, as well as the dangerous nature of the practice.  Men are 
also beginning to be involved in fighting FGM. One community group, 
Men against FGM, is an example. A major obstacle to those fighting 
FGM, however, is the frequent influx of new refugees, often from 
rural Somalia. Upon arriving, our interlocutors told us these 
refugees set back the progress made in the camps by increasing the 
pressure to continue the practice.  Consequently, those fighting FGM 
have to redouble their efforts to reach these newcomers. 
 
--------------------------- 
Maternal Health Compromised 
--------------------------- 
 
¶9.  Women's health in the camps is severely compromised.  FGM has 
huge health ramifications for women, contributing to widespread 
cases of fistula, infections, problems giving birth, and a greater 
potential for HIV transmission.  Nutrition is another issue. 
According to physician assistants at the International Rescue 
Committee (IRC) hospital in Hagadera - one of three hospitals in all 
of Dadaab - anemia is one of the largest problems for women in the 
camp, and contributes to high rates of maternal mortality. 
 
¶10.  Maternity wards in the camps are filled beyond capacity.  At 
the IRC hospital, we observed women lying on mattresses on the 
ground in the back of the hospital due to lack of beds.  Adequate 
space and staff are lacking, especially given the consistent influx 
of so many new arrivals.  Physician assistants and staff workers at 
the hospital complained about the fact that women need the consent 
of their husband or father to get an operation or caesarean section 
during delivery, which is becoming increasingly necessary as women 
face many problems giving birth. "Men sit under a tree to discuss 
the fate of women - whether or not she or the baby should be the one 
to live," noted an aid worker. 
 
¶11.  A noted success for women's health in Dadaab is a marked 
improvement in the number of women giving birth in hospitals. 
Incentives have been developed to urge more women to give birth 
outside their homes, including the provision of registration and 
ration cards for newborns at the hospital (instead of weeks later), 
a basket of soap and non-food items for the mother, and a recent 
program to offer free taxi services for women who commit to giving 
birth in a hospital.  According to a UNHCR health official, rates of 
hospital deliveries are now well above 70 percent, and the rate of 
maternal and child health has improved, even if many of the 
maternity wards are chronically overcrowded. 
 
------------------------------- 
Additional Women's Health Issues 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶12.  Lack of sanitary pads was another commonly identified problem 
by the women and girls we met.  Muraya Ibrahim, chairwoman of the 
Together Women Group in Hagadera, noted that sanitary pads are 
provided inconsistently to women, sometimes once a month, other 
times not at all.  Alice, an aid worker for CARE, also told us that 
women complain about the quality of pads, as they are often reusable 
and not as sanitary. (Note: The difficulty with providing disposable 
sanitary pads in camps is their disposal - refuse pits are overfull 
due to camp over-population.  Another issue is the recurring costs 
to NGOs with limited budgets to provide the pads.  End note.)  CARE 
is advocating for disposable pads, especially for younger girls, so 
that they do not miss school due to menstruation. 
 
¶13.  There is a gaping hole in the provision of mental health or 
psycho-social services for women in Dadaab.  A 30-year old Sudanese 
refugee who serves as a counselor at Dagahaley noted that there were 
only eleven community counselors serving the entire camp. Many women 
go to the health units being violently raped. Most of these women do 
not receive mental health counseling.  Further, a UNHCR Chief of 
Public Health noted that there is a gap between clinical services 
and community outreach in the camps, and no connection between the 
two. 
 
--------------------------- 
Addressing Girls' Education 
--------------------------- 
 
¶14.  The education system in the Dadaab camps is very weak, but 
nevertheless highly valued by the refugee community.  As of July 
 
NAIROBI 00001616  003 OF 003 
 
 
2009, approximately half of the children aged 5 - 17 were accessing 
formal education in the camps.  There are nineteen primary schools 
but only three official secondary schools.  Due to the aid 
organizations' inability to fund another secondary school, community 
members pooled resources and established a community secondary 
school in March of 2008, revealing initiative and appreciation of 
education among the refugees. 
 
¶15.  There are major weaknesses in the Dadaab school system. Out of 
721 teachers, only 63 are trained, and many have not even completed 
secondary school.  UNHCR recognized this as a major problem and has 
proposed the creation of a teachers college in the camp to 
facilitate training.  They have yet to receive funding for this 
proposal, as many donors (including the USG) only have one-year 
funding instead of the multi-year funding teacher training would 
require.  The poor school facilities are also a major problem.  Due 
to the influx of refugees over the past year, the already 
dilapidated and small facilities are strained, creating a difficult 
learning environment and discouraging students from attending 
school.  Primary schools have the dismal teacher/student ration of 
1:68, and with 50% of new arrivals young children, the capacity of 
the primary schools will only be strained further. 
 
¶16.  Despite the overall difficult situation for students in Dadaab, 
female students are even more disenfranchised.  Somali cultural and 
family mores mean that young girls are responsible for household 
chores, which make it difficult for them to focus on studies.  Young 
girls drop out of school for a variety of reasons, including 
household duties, early marriage, over-crowded facilities or lack of 
family support. Only 26% of secondary school students are girls. 
One mother recommended the creation of boarding schools for girls, 
so that they are able to focus on studies and avoid pressure to drop 
out.  The World Food Program, a USG partner that provides services 
in the camps, has a program to give girls a kilo of sugar if they 
maintain consistent attendance. The program has met with some 
success. 
 
¶17.  Girls also have fewer opportunities for after-school or 
recreational sports than boys.  Although some girls have a strong 
desire to play sports, they do not have adequate facilities, 
equipment or training to create sports teams.  Community members who 
consider sports to be immodest and an activity meant solely for boys 
discourage participation. The Embassy is working with a Dabaab-based 
youth soccer league to provide uniforms and equipment and will 
ensure that girls are included in the initiative. 
 
-------------------------------- 
Improvements and Recommendations 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶18.  There are some positive improvements for women.  Men and women 
alike noted that "girls are even attending university," and women 
are occupying leadership positions within the community and within 
community-based organizations. Many refugee-initiated community 
groups are active on issues facing women, including Parents Against 
FGM, Circle of Women, Together Women, and implementing partners who 
continue to do engagement on issues concerning domestic violence, 
FGM, and women's health. Anne, a CARE staff member in the gender and 
development section, noted that, increasingly, women are becoming 
economically empowered and are the backbone of their families, by 
finding income-generating opportunities within the camps.  Women 
continue to demonstrate their strength and resilience, despite the 
violence and vulnerability they face. 
 
¶19.  Possibilities and recommendations for continued engagement 
include: enhanced support for psychosocial and mental health 
services; provision of firewood so women are less vulnerable; 
training of more female police officers; increased support for 
girls' sports, including the provision of equipment, coaches, and 
awareness building within the community; and a greater emphasis on 
girls' education, including the construction of a boarding school 
for girls. 
 
SLUTZ