UN: Severe drought in Horn of Africa causing 'alarming' overcrowding at Kenyan refugee camp

UN: Severe drought in Horn of Africa causing 'alarming' overcrowding at Kenyan refugee camp

2011-07-01 08:28:13 GMT+7 (ICT)

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- The United Nations humanitarian agency warned on Thursday that the number of drought refugees from the Horn of Africa is growing "at alarming rates," after 20,000 people arrived in the last two weeks alone at an already overcrowded refugee camp in north-eastern Kenya.

"The overcrowded Dadaab refugee camp in Garissa continues to receive new arrivals at alarming rates. The current number of registered refugees – 353,921 – is four times its capacity. Twenty thousand people have arrived in the last two weeks alone," the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.

The site is the largest refugee camp in the world.

Earlier this week, OCHA estimated that 10 million people across the Horn of Africa are facing a severe food crisis following a prolonged drought in the region, with some areas of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Uganda experiencing their worst drought conditions in 60 years.

The Kenyan Government has declared the drought situation a national disaster, with malnutrition mortality rates in northern Kenya exceeding emergency thresholds.

OCHA urged governments, donors and relief agencies to step up efforts to prevent further deterioration. Further food price hikes are expected in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Somalia, but could ease after the next harvests expected later this year.

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