DWS Country Programs
Kenya/Sudan
Persistent food shortages and harsh conditions in Turkana. Refugee school children being fed at Kakuma Refugee Camp in northwest Kenya. |
Over the past two decades, south Sudan has experienced the sustained insecurity of a war of liberation along with fighting between and within clans, and between ethnic groups. The resulting destruction of infrastructure, property and social services, and the creation of waves of refugees and internally displaced persons, continues.
The aim of the LWF/DWS Kenya/Sudan Program is to address the causes and consequences of human suffering and poverty amongst some of the most vulnerable communities in south Sudan and Kenya, through participatory relief and development interventions in partnership with local communities and organizations.
The DWS program started as a liaison office in the port city of Mombasa, Kenya, providing logistical support for relief activities in southern Sudan, and has managed the Kakuma Refugee Camp in northwest Kenya since 1992. The program is evolving to prepare for eventual repatriation and rehabilitation in Sudan, and to give increased attention to the Turkana community within the hosting areas around the camp.
Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya
DWS manages the Kakuma Refugee Camp and serves a lead agency role under a tripartite agreement with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Kenyan government. The program manages food ration distribution, water and sanitation, security, education and community services. The camp is now home to over 81,000 refugees, mainly from Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia, reflecting the complex insecurity realities of the region. Efforts in the camp continue to emphasize a rights based approach and greater involvement of the refugees in planning and implementation.
Turkana
In recognizing that a long-established refugee camp cannot exist in isolation from its host community, a joint emphasis for both Kakuma and Turkana will launch activities to redress some of the negative impacts on the host communities as well as provide assistance to both the refugees in the camp and the Turkana around the camp.
With support provided by the UN World Food Programme (WFP), Kenyan government and Action by Churches Together (ACT), DWS has provided emergency assistance to the drought-affected Turkana community.
South Sudan
Emergency food relief and emergency response have been provided at various times for the drought-affected and war-displaced in southern Sudan, between 1991 and 1995, and again in 1999. During such operations, every opportunity is used to facilitate development of the region and to foster economic self-reliance through a combination of rehabilitation and development-oriented projects. An integrated approach emphasizes peace building, capacity building, disaster mitigation and preparedness, food security, water/sanitation and education.
Web site of the LWF/DWS Kenya-Sudan program.
For further information please contact:
Program Officer Mr Tore Samuelsson.
Local representative
Mr Philip Wijmans, Director.
