UNHCR Urged to Tackle Crisis in Refugee Camps
These are areas of low rainfall, high temperatures, and generally fragile ecosystems that are very susceptible to environmental degradation.
Cabinet Secretary hold an environmental meeting with UNHCR officials on Monday, October 7, 2024.Photo by Aden Duale.
By Robert Mutasi
Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry, Aden Duale, has called upon the UNHCR to urgently take action on the crisis situation posed by the environmental effects in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands of Kenya.
He made this call on Monday, October 7, 2024, as shared from his verified social media accounts. Here, he reiterated the need for intervention in the regions of refugee camps located in Wajir and Turkana, Garissa counties.
During a meeting with the UNHCR Country Director for Kenya, Buren Caroline, Duale noted the environmental degradation in these regions that was exacerbated by the influxes and that the cutting of trees for fuel is driving an already fragile ecosystem toward the edge of falling down.
Duale argued that the UNHCR should therefore provide alternative sources of fuel energy to refugee camps in Wajir, Garissa, and Turkana counties as part of their universal mandate.
He proposed the use of clean fuels such as solar-powered stoves, hence replacing the wood fuel used by these refugees progressively.
ASALs take up 80% of Kenya’s land while hosting millions of refugees across its vast expanses.
These are areas of low rainfall, high temperatures, and generally fragile ecosystems that are very susceptible to environmental degradation.
These have predisposed the area to high desertification and deforestation, therefore affecting the local livelihood and biodiversity in the region.
Duale proposed approaches between the UNHCR, the government of Kenya, and the local community to restore these degraded ecosystems.
He called on the commission to develop a holistic plan that would restore trees in the affected areas in close collaboration with relevant government agencies and host communities.
“Restoration of these ecosystems is vital not only for the environment but also for the wellbeing of the communities that depend on these lands for their survival,” he added.
The visit by Caroline Buren and Duale represents growing concerns over the impacts of the refugee settlements on the environment, especially on regions that are under great ecological pressures.
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