AFRICA/KENYA - More than 60 000 refugees were transferred to Kakuma camp

Kakuma (Agenzia Fides) - The difficulties in the Horn of Africa continue: recently more than 60 000 refugees were transferred from Dadaab to Kakuma camp. Various international organizations are warning of possible outbreaks of violence and denounce the kidnapping of two Spanish operators of Doctors Without Borders. "The problems are on the border with Somalia, the rest of the country remains safe," explain the Salesian missionaries working in Kenya, in a statement released by Ans. However the police has alerted all organizations working in Dadaab refugee camp and its surroundings that the Islamist militia al-Shabaab have in their sights not only the police but also the international staff. "In Dadaab, the situation is very difficult, with more than 400 000 refugees and scarce resources, especially as the international organizations have decided to stay only for extreme cases". "The arrival of refugees from Somalia has not stopped in all these months and the lack of food, water and resources, has meant that we live in difficult times of instability," say the Salesian missionaries. "The same thing happened in other parts of the country, due to the lack of food and water". For years the Salesian Missions have been working in Kakuma, a camp that already had over 85 000 refugees and missionaries who are committed to improving the quality of life of people. The children of Don Bosco also have a training school, attended by over a thousand students each year. In Kenya, food and water in areas of greatest need, such as Turkana, Korr, Nzaikoki, Marsabit have been distributed. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 20/10/2011)