Refugee Camps in Garissa
Dadaab Refugee Camp: Enormous and Growing
From Habaswein, officially marking the northwestern corner of Garissa County, a deserted road takes southerly from here and terminates at the much blazoned Dadaab Refugee Camp 160 km away. A cast off village that has been chronicled as the largest refugee camp in the world. The scale of Dadaab Camp as sighted on aerial imagery is massive and incomprehensible. It is overwhelming at ground level! The first camp was established in 1991, when refugees fleeing the civil war in Somalia started to cross the border into Kenya. A second large influx occurred in 2011, when some 130,000 fearful refugees arrived, fleeing drought and famine in southern Somalia. Initially this sprawling complex had five distinct precincts – Dagahaley, Ifo 1, Ifo 2, Kambioos and Hagadera – collectively hosting a registered population of 400,000 refugees, making it one of the largest across the world.
During the Horn of Africa famine in 2011, two camps, Ifo 2 and Kambioos were established to cater of the influx. These two camps have, however, been closed with the reduction of the numbers in Dadaab as a result of the voluntary return programme. Dadaab is a unique area, in the sense that it not only hosts a large population of refugees but also because the refugees, who are mostly of Somali descent, freely interact with the local Somali on issues such as trade, livestock, and marriage. Still and all, Dadaab was a temporary solution which no one would have expected could grow to this extent. So much so, that the Government’s attempt to shut it down in 2019, and expedite relocation of the refugees residing therein, was a cause of international concern that also violated the 1951 United Nations Convention on refugees. Three decades later, it is still steadily expanding.
outlook
Touring Garissa County offers a unique blend of cultural immersion, natural beauty, and opportunities to explore the traditional way of life in northeastern Kenya, unchanged since the days of yore. It’s a chance to experience authentic Somali culture and hospitality while enjoying the serene beauty of northeastern.
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Explore Destinations Near Dadaab Refugee Camp
A Guide to Garissa County
A Summa Digest of Garissa
About Garissa Way Back When
18 Destinations in Garissa County, arranged as one would visit these - west, north, east then south - with aid of narratives, images, strip maps and distance chart:
River Tana, Almond Resort, Suuq Mugdi Market, Jamia Mosque Garissa, Garissa Culture and Heritage Center, Garissa Giraffe Centre, Garissa Solar Power Plant, Bour-Algi Giraffe Sanctuary, Rahole National Reserve, Merti Plains, River Ewaso Nyiro, Lorian Swamp, Dadaab Camp, Arawale National Reserve, Ishaqbini Hirola Community Conservancy, Lake Ishaqbini, Boni Forest National Reserve, Lag Badana Reserve
Know More About Garissa County: Its Geography, Land-Use, Highlights, Population, Roads - including a distance chart, Airports, Climate & National Monuments
Temperatures in Garissa County are generally high throughout the year, like clockwork, ranging from 20oC to a high of 38oC. The average temperature is 36oC. February is the hottest month of year.
The vast Garissa County is basically flat and low-lying without notable hills, valleys and mountains. It rises from a low altitude of 200 to 400 ms.