Kenya: 2,000 Tanzanian refugees on hunger strike
Briefing Notes, 6 March 2001
This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Kris Janowski – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 6 March 2001, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
Over 2,000 Tanzanian refugees from Pemba and Zanzibar have gone on a hunger strike to protest the Kenyan government's plans to transfer refugee leaders from the coastal town of Shimoni to Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya's North Eastern Province. This follows the Kenyan government's announcement that it was willing to allocate a temporary site nearby for the 2,254 refugees on condition that between 30 and 40 leaders of Civic Union Front (CUF) are separated and relocated to Dadaab refugee camp. Among these leaders are 16 legislators who arrived six weeks ago at the Kenyan coastal town of Shimoni following a demonstration that sparked clashes on the islands on January 27. The refugees have said that separating them from their leadership was unacceptable Last week, the refugees told UNHCR that they were willing to be relocated to Dadaab as a community. The Kenyan Government has expressed concern, following reports of constant attempts by CUF activists in Pemba to contact some of their leaders among the refugees. The proximity of their location to the Tanzanian/Kenyan border is another source of concern. According to the authorities, the safety of the refugee leadership could not be guaranteed if they remained in Shimoni.
In the meantime, the situation at the fisheries compound where they have been confined since their arrival on January 28 has become desperate as more people arrive. The compound, which was designed to accommodate no more than 600 people, is hardly an acre in size. UNHCR is building minimal sanitary facilities but the situation in the compound remains critical and poses a health hazard. The majority of the refugees are sleeping in the open because of the limited space, which makes it impossible to set up tents for all refugees. The rainy season is approaching and heavy showers last Thursday left many refugees soaked. If the refugees were to remain in this compound, their already appalling conditions would worsen even further during the rainy season.
Meanwhile, refugee leaders have expressed the community's willingness to return home to Pemba and Zanzibar, on condition that they get an amnesty for their participation in the Jan. 27 demonstration. The refugees have also drawn up a list of concerns related to the insecurity on the islands that they would like to see addressed before they would consider returning. They have repeated to UNHCR that they would like to return as soon as possible. A UNHCR mission will visit Pemba and Zanzibar this week to assess the situation on the two islands. This fact-finding mission will analyse conditions on the islands, in preparation for a possible return of refugees. The refugees have nominated 12 representatives to take part in the UNHCR-led mission to the islands, but UNHCR is yet to receive guarantees from the Tanzanian authorities for their safety.
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To get refugees to safety on higher ground, UNHCR started transferring people to Hagadera camp, 20kms away – often using donkey carts. A series of airlifts has brought in fuel for generators, emergency health kits, tarpaulins, and shovels to fill sandbags to keep the flood waters at bay. Essentials items such as plastic tarpaulins, sleeping mats, and food have been distributed to refugees who lost everything.
These floods have been compared to the massive flooding which followed the record 1997 El Nino rains that swamped much of low-lying eastern Kenya.
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Kenya Floods Threaten Refugees
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Tanzania hosts Africa's largest concentration of refugees: almost 1 million people. Ongoing civil and political unrest in neighbouring countries prevents refugees from returning home and at the same time causes new refugees to stream into Tanzania.
During the past few years, the hospitality traditionally shown to new refugees has been strained by growing insecurity (perceived to be caused by the refugees) and pressure on limited natural resources. As a result, government policy towards Burundian and Rwandan refugees has become more closed, with the focus turning towards temporary asylum with a view to sending refugees home as quickly as possible.
UNHCR continues to provide protection to the 500,000 registered refugees living in camps in Tanzania, while also promoting education and health programmes, local integration initiatives, women's empowerment activities, small income generation programmes and environmental awareness and rehabilitation projects.
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