World Refugee Day: Africa reels under refugee crisis as World Vision warns that closure of Dadaab camp will trigger new migrants wave

Shutting the world’s largest refugee camp could unleash a new wave of human migration across North Africa and Europe, according to World Vision UK. The international children’s charity issued its warning to mark World Refugee Day on 20 June 2016.

Closing the Dadaab camp in Kenya will risk a humanitarian disaster when 350,000 Somali refugees will be forced to move back to their home country. War-torn Somalia is facing immense food shortages and an economic crunch that has been exacerbated by an El Nino-induced drought. World Vision believes many refugees will choose to seek new lives elsewhere rather than return to dangerous areas without schools, hospitals, homes or jobs. 

Speaking from Nairobi, Johan Eldebo, World Vision UK’s Senior Humanitarian Policy Adviser said:  

“The Kenyan government, like many others, is struggling to help millions of displaced and desperate people. But this is not just an issue for Kenya or Africa. Over 200,000 refugees have risked their lives this year to cross the Mediterranean to Europe. More than a quarter has come from Somalia and other war-torn East African countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi. 

“It’s time for Europe and the rest of the world to accept that we can’t wish the refugee challenge away. We must take collective action to address the root causes driving migration and ensure refugees are not marginalised, or left unproductive for years in camps. Children must be given education, communities should have access to healthcare and adults must have work opportunities. Such factors restore dignity and reduce reliance on expensive and unsustainable aid hand-outs,” he explained.

Kenya announced in May that it planned to close Dadaab camp in the east of the country, home to mainly Somali refugees. The East African country's government has however reversed a decision to close Kakuma, a second camp on its northern border hosting almost 200,000 refugees, mainly from South Sudan.

Dadaab’s closure adds to the growing pressure across the continent from the mass displacement of people. Conflicts and food crises have created 15 million refugees in Africa – a quarter of all refugees across the world. Meanwhile fighting in Syria and the Middle East is driving millions more out of their homes creating what the UN has describe as “the worst refugee crisis in history”. 

World Vision UK is today calling on the international community to act immediately on the commitments it made at last month’s World Humanitarian Summit to help alleviate the refugee crisis.  The charity believes governments and international bodies must prioritise countries that are prone to conflict, chaos and crises. It wants to see long-term development programming and financing that brings lasting change. In particular, it is calling on the global community to: 

•Find political solutions to conflicts, which drive 80% of humanitarian need globally

•Permit refugees to work within host communities and provide business support 

•Protect children, especially the ones travelling on their own, providing them with healthcare and access to education

Tim Pilkington, chief executive of World Vision UK says:  “Millions of parents in Africa face a stark choice - condemn their children and families to poverty, hunger and death or find a new, better life elsewhere.

“The pressures on very vulnerable people to migrate from extreme hardship and conflict are worsening. We need funding and resources to help refugees - especially children. But most important, we need to address the underlying causes that lead people to take desperate measures to survive.” 

Today, on the occasion of the Global Disability Summit, the UK Government became the first major donor of its kind to explicitly pledge support for family and community-based care for all children.

Championing families and not orphanages, Secretary of State for International Development, Penny Mordaunt, announced: “Orphanages are harmful to children and it is often those with disabilities who are placed in them the most. This needs to end, which is why I’m committed to the long-term plan to ensure all children grow up with a family of their own.”

An NGO alliance including Hope and Homes, Lumos, Save the Children and World Vision - have joined forces to echo the UK Government’s commitment and support global change for children trapped in orphanages, especially those with disabilities who are the furthest left behind. The launch ofthe new ‘Civil Society Compact [CSO Compact]’ sets out a pathway for change to help eliminate orphanages worldwide.

“Recognising that institutionalisation harms children – and that children with disabilities are overrepresented in institutions –we commit to work together toward eliminating the institutionalisation of children globally. Ensuring our organisations do not contribute towards the institutionalisation of children, directly or indirectly - and in line with international treaties and best practice, we share the UK Government’s pledge to enable all children to have the opportunity to realise their right to family care.”

World Vision is a proud signatory to the CSO Compact, which is set out in full below.

Now is the time for other governments, funders, companies and individuals to follow suit and invest in alternatives to orphanages so all children can thrive in families.

CSO COMPACT

Recognising that institutionalisation harms children’s physical, emotional, psychological and psychosocial development, the undersigned organisations pledge to work toward the end of institutionalization of children and for the promotion of family-based care.

The occasion of the first Global Disability Summit makes this a particularly appropriate moment for this commitment, since children with disabilities are often the first to enter an institution and the last to leave.

In-line with international treaties and best practice, including the UN Guidelines on the Alternative Care of Children, UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, we share the UK Government’s pledge to enable all children to have the opportunity to realise their right to family care and, in accordance with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable development, commit to leave no child behind in this effort.

We are committed to ensuring our organisations do not, either directly or indirectly, contribute towards the institutionalisation of children. We are also committed to coordinating our activities and resources to maximise our collective efforts to support the transition to family and community-based care worldwide. Specifically, we commit to coordinating around six key themes:

Raising awareness and understanding in a way that stops the flow of funding and resources in support of orphanages and other types of institutions, and helping to redirect this support to family and community-based solutions.  We will also seek to influence our partners, supporters and donors to work in a coordinated way to do the same.

Encouraging the integration of child protection and care services with health and education support in order to promote family-based care and ensure that the wide-ranging needs of children with disabilities and their carers are met.

Advocating with decision-makers - international and national - to prevent the placement of children into institutions, and to ensure that legislation and policy are always derived from a locally developed evidence base on how to best combat the key drivers of institutionalisation.

Investing in (whether financial or in-kind) local partner capacity – civil society and local authorities – to effectively manage the transition from institutions to quality family and community-based care in ways that protect the rights of affected children.

Promoting the meaningful participation of children and young people - actively seeking out, listening to and acting on the views and opinions of the young people and children we work with, and where safe and appropriate to do so, giving them a platform to share their views and ideas more widely – paying particular attention to ensuring gender balance, and the inclusion of children with disabilities and other minority groups.

Researching and generating an evidence base about key issues such as:

·       best practice interventions to address the key drivers of institutionalisation;

·       the proliferation and poor quality of care in these institutions;

·       ways to challenge the invisibility of children in institutions, especially children with disabilities;

·       the most appropriate alternative care options for children who cannot live with their own biological family.

To achieve this we will work together to share our data, research findings, methodologies and support countries to gather better data and monitor outcomes for all children. In doing this we will seek to Increase the visibility and understanding of disability issues in children’s care and protection through wider research and routinely disaggregated data collection.

List of signatories

1.     Save the Children UK

2.     World Vision

3.     Plan International UK

4.     Human Rights Watch

5.     Islamic Relief Worldwide

6.     Disability Rights International

7.     Hope and Homes for Children

8.     Lumos

9.     DeafKidz International

10.  Home for Good

11.  Better Care Network

12.  Friends International

13.  Chance for Childhood

14.  HealthProm

15.  Forget Me Not Australia

16.  Next Generation Nepal

17.  One Sky Foundation

18.  Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children