In 2021, it will be 30 years since the Dadaab camps were first established to accommodate Somalis fleeing their country’s civil war. At one time, Dadaab was the largest refugee camp in the world, hosting upwards of half a million people. It is still home to some 232,903 refugees, many of whom were born in the camps, and have known nothing else.



Denied the right to work and move freely, refugees in the Dadaab camps have lived their lives in confinement, heavily dependent on humanitarian assistance. Yet humanitarian aid has waxed and waned over the year, and frequent calls to close the camps have heightened uncertainty for refugees. Most Somali refugees in the camp can’t even fathom returning to their home country, where violence remains widespread, and access to basic services limited.



With Kenya insistent on closing the camps in June 2022, refugees in Dadaab have been left in the dark as to what future awaits them. Return is not a solution for most and the push for local integration and inclusion of refugees has gained little traction. Resettlement opportunities have also dried up, even as humanitarian aid has declined, underlining the crisis of solidarity for refugees.