David Omot News Today

Kenya’s government has said it told the United Nations’ refugee agency (UNHCR) it will close two refugee camps hosting more than 400,000 people by June 30 next year. The announcement by the interior ministry on Thursday followed a meeting between Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi about the status of the Dadaab and Kakuma camps. Most of the 433,765 refugees and asylum seekers living at the settlements are from Somalia and South Sudan. “A j...

Kenya’s high court has temporarily blocked the closure of two refugee camps hosting more than 400,000 people, according to media reports and activists. On March 24, Kenyan Interior Minister Fred Matiang’i announced the government’s intention to shut the Dadaab and Kakuma camps, giving the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) two weeks to present a plan to do so. The ministry called this an “ultimatum” and said there was no room for further negotiations. On Thursday, the court stayed ...

Kenyan court ‘temporarily blocks’ closure of refugee camps Al Jazeera English © The court ruling originated from a petition filed by a local politician challenging a move to shut d... The court ruling originated from a petition filed by a local politician challenging a move to shut down the camps [Azad Essa/Al Jazeera] Kenya’s high court has temporarily blocked the closure of two refugee camps hosting more than 400,000 people, according to media reports and activists. O...

Terrifying, shocking, a rejection of humanity – these are just some of the words used by residents of Kenya’s two largest refugee camps to describe their fear and despondency over the news that the government is trying to have the settlements shut down imminently. On March 24, Kenyan Interior Minister Fred Matiang’i declared the United Nations’ refugee agency (UNHCR) had two weeks to come up with a plan for closing the Dadaab and Kakuma camps, which between them host some 410,000 people...