Frontline News
© UNHCR/
A. Webster
Bringing a ray of hope to Somali refugees. Some 11,000 live in Ali Addeh camp, in the southeastern part of Djibouti, near the border with Somalia. Since the resumption of the violence in Mogadishu in May 2009, the monthly rate of new arrivals in Djibouti has more than tripled. Most are in dire need of assistance.
Why I go to the camp every day
Mohammed Mahdi Ahmed is a UNHCR field assistant at Ali Addeh Camp in Horn of Africa country of Djibouti. He tells us about his daily work with the refugees.
What do you do in Ali Addeh?
Mainly, I listen to the problems of the refugees and I
try to solve them. More concretely, I help distribute food and non-food items
to refugees and I coordinate with UNHCR’s partner organizations to make sure
that refugees’ needs are addressed.
What is the current situation of the refugees in the camp?
Some people in Ali Addeh have been there for 19 years.
Still, new people arrive every day from south-central Somalia who need our help.
We have Somali, Ethiopian and Eritrean refugees, now totalling more than 11,000
people. In the camp they receive food and other relief items. They are also
given access to medical services.
What are the most pressing needs?
Shelter is the most pressing need at the moment. The winds
are so strong in the area that they destroy the shelter materials. Sometimes they
can last for a month. In addition, the cold season is approaching so it is
crucial for refugees to have proper shelter.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Seeing the relief on the face of a refugee that I have
been able to help; this is the most rewarding part of my job and that is why I
go to the camp every day.
Is there a particular incident or person that sticks in your mind?
Oh, there are many people I will never forget! For
instance there is Anab, a refugee woman from south-central Somalia who has been
living in the camp for 18 years. Anab is amazing; she comes every day to teach Somali
at the camp school, while caring and cooking for her husband and her 13 children.
She is a woman with courage. Hopefully she will soon be resettled in the United
States.
Background info
Djibouti hosts close to 11,000 refugees, of which 90 percent are from Somalia. Since May 2009 and the resumption of violence in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, the number of new arrivals in Djibouti – which counts some 700,000 inhabitants – has more than tripled.
Most refugees live in Ali Addeh Camp, located in south-eastern Djibouti. Living conditions are harsh due to the high temperatures in the semi-arid desert area.
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Since the beginning of the year more than 100,000 Somali civilians have been forced to flee their homes in southern and central Somalia. Some are searching for safety not far from Mogadishu while many others have fled to neighbouring countries. Just $10 could change somebody's life.
