The Dadaab refugee complex has a population of 218,873 registered refugees and asylum seekers as at the end of July 2020. Dadaab refugee complex consists of three camps.
The first camp was established in 1991, when refugees fleeing the civil war in Somalia started to cross the border into Kenya. A second large influx occurred in 2011, when some 130,000 refugees arrived, fleeing drought and famine in southern Somalia.
View more statistics on the Somali Displacement Crisis on our data portal.
The three Dadaab camps are Dagahaley, Ifo and Hagadera. The first two are located in Lagdera (Dadaab) district while Hagadera is located in the neighbouring Fafi district. A large part of the residents in the old camps (Ifo, Dagahaley, Hagadera) arrived in Dadaab in the 1990s and have children and grandchildren born in the camps. The camps resemble naturally-grown towns and have developed into commercial hubs connecting north-eastern Kenya and southern Somalia. During the Horn of Africa famine in 2011, two camps, Ifo 2 and Kambioos were established to cater of the influx. These two camps have, however, been closed with the reduction of the numbers in Dadaab as a result of the voluntary return programme.
Information for journalists, film-makers and researchers visiting Dadaab Refugee Camps
Journalists, researchers, scholars and film-makers intending to visit refugee camps in Kenya are required to obtain a letter of approval from the government of Kenya.
- Local and foreign journalists are required to obtain accreditation from the Media Council of Kenya
- Local and foreign researchers are required to obtain a research permit from the National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation
- Local and foreign film-makers will need accreditation from the Kenya Film Commission
Upon obtaining one of the above, you will physically take it or email it to the Refugee Affairs Secretariat (RAS) at the Ministry of Interior & Coordination of National Government. RAS is the government entity in charge of management of refugee camps in Kenya which will issue you with a letter of approval to visit the camps. You will be required to produce a copy to UNHCR upon arrival in the camps.
Send an email to the Refugee Affairs Secretariat (RAS), [email protected] and copy [email protected] Once you have sent your request, please follow it up with Mr. Stanley Nyale, is the Public Relations Officer for RAS through +254 720 761 682.
Find details on how to visit Dadaab below;