Refugees in Dadaab in dire need of information

In the over-crowded refugee camps in Dadaab in Kenya, the famine-stricken refugees in the Horn of Africa are faced with a large-scale information gap putting their lives further at risk

Current communication strategies are not working and a massive information gap seems to be hampering the aid response with serious implications for people’s suffering.

These are early findings from a recent examination in the Dadaab camps carried out by International Media Support with Internews, local Somali radios Star FM and Radio Ergo, and the Norwegian Refugee Council.

Over 450 refugees were interviewed in an examination of their needs for reliable information.

Lacking knowledge to make daily decisions

According to the preliminary findings, the vast majority of the refugees interviewed do not have the information they need to make daily decisions. This includes information on access to food, water andnot least the all-important refugee registration.

Although many in the camps have access to communication tools like mobile phones, most said they have not been able to communicate with aid providers or the government.

Radio still a critical source of information

The little information people do receive often comes from the radio. Refugees valued radio as a critical source of information and according to the findings some people have been able to make decisions to protect their health and that of their families as a result of information heard on the radio.

The IMS-supported radio service Radio Ergo plays a key role in providing this information. Ergo broadcasts daily one-hour programmes with valuable information on safety, human rights, conflict prevention, health issues, livestock and farming, and other key issues.

Special focus is dedicated to the famine with a daily round-up of reporting from the ground, including conditions in the refugee camps, and from the villages and towns across Somalia hardest hit by the drought.

To expand on its effort to meet the vast needs for reliable humanitarian information, IMS is currently looking to set up a local radio station in Dadaab in collaboration with Internews and local radio station Star FM.

IMS supports Radio Ergo through its daughter company IMS Productions ApS with a branch office in Kenya.