In Kakuma Kalobeyei refugee settlements, Thousands of families live with hunger, pain, frustration and hopelessness. Recently UNHCR announced that refugees in Category Three and Category Four would no longer receive food support. This decision has left many many families heart broken.
A Desperate Refugee Father
Adan is a father who carries heavy burdens. He is a handicap living with a wife suffering mental illness. His two elder sons are addicted to drugs and never had a chance to go to school. His eldest daughter faced harassment from her husband, after a long dispute and arguing he finally divorce her. Now she is struggling to raise her four children alone.
This family was placed in Category Four, meaning they will not receive any food at all. The father was shocked hearing this awful story. He could not understand how UNHCR decided which refugee deserves food and which one does not .
For 23 years in Refugees , his only source of survival was the little food provided by UNHCR and BAMBA chakula, a small amount of money meant to buy basic needs. Refugees in his community received their food and the small cash transfered. His family’s future is sinking into deeper darkness.
A shared Pain, a Shared Struggle
Refugees in Kakuma and Kalobeyei come from different countries. They speak different languages and have different cultures. But their main Struggles are the same. They Fled from war, poverty and persecution hoping to find safety. Instead, many are facing hunger and despair.
The frustration of Category Three and Category Four refugees grows every day. Parents cry as they see their children sleep hungry. Young people lose hope, some turn to drugs and crime. Families break apart because survival has become a daily fight.
A Call to the World
This father’s story is not unique. It represents thousands of refugees who feel abandoned and voiceless. He is calling the world to stand with him. To remember refugees are human beings equal in any opportunity in the camps regardless of their categories.
The international community, humanitarian organization, and kind-hearted individuals must rise and help this father and refugees like him. Food is a luxury it is a basic human right. Cutting off food support to some refugees while giving it to others is creating creating division conflict among the Refugees.
Conclusion
The Struggles of Category Three and Four refugees are real and painful. Hunger has no Category. Suffering has no Category. Refugees are all same human beings who deserve compassion, fairness and hope.
Let the world not forget them. Let us speak for the father, the mother, the children and the many families left in the shadows.
