Dagahaley, Hagadera and Ifo - views from the field

Each morning at 7:45, the resettlement officers head to one of the three refugee camps (Dagahaley, Hagadera and Ifo) to interview refugees and prepare their applications for resettlement.  The majority of those being assisted by UNHCR's resettlement group are refugees who arrived in 1991/1992.  The number of the 1991/1992 arrivals is high, so a lottery-type system is used to evenly distribute the interviews among the different camps and housing blocks within each camp.  Many children of the 1991/1992 arrivals were brought to the camps as babies or were born in the camps.  Could you imagine not knowing what life was like outside a refugee camp?

 

Waiting to be called for baby registration at the UNHCR Dagahaley Field Office.

















The entry gate for the UN vehicles.



The entry/waiting area for those awaiting resettlement interviews.

  



















My caseload generally focuses on those refugees with serious medical issues that can be treated in a resettlement country (and have a likely outcome of an improved way of life).  Many of the medical cases come from refugees living at Dagahaley Refugee Camp, so that is where I have spent a majority of my time.  I've gotten to know the interpreters and other staff working in Dagahaley, and they are a friendly bunch! 


One of my favorite Somali interpreters, Sulub, outside the field office in Dagahaley.

 

View of the resettlement offices at Dagahaley Field Office from the entry gate.

The largest camp, and the noisiest in terms of field offices, is Ifo Refugee Camp.  Because of the large number of refugees that come to the field office in Ifo, things can sometimes get a little heated.  For example, last week the women were protesting the shortage in staff for baby registration.  At first, they just threw stones at the metal gate that separates the waiting area from the field office grounds.  But then I heard the stones hitting the walls and windows of our offices!  Security was quick to settle the women down.  The following day, students were the ones to protest.  This time, it was a lack of teachers in the camp schools that caused the stone-throwing.  No one was hurt and the crowd was again settled down within a few minutes. 

Below are a few photos from the Ifo field office.

View from an interview room looking out at the waiting refugees.



Packed and ready to head back to the compound for lunch!



At 12:30, the vehicles make their way from the camps to the UN compound for lunch.  If you miss the convey, just text the kitchen staff to hold your lunch, surpress your hunger and relax/keep working until the 2:30 convey!