ShelterBox tents providing shelter for families in need in Kenya

Thousands of Somali families fleeing famine and drought are receiving ShelterBox tents at a refugee camp in Kenya. ShelterBox is working in partnership with UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) and IOM (International Organization for Migration) to provide shelter for up to 20,000 Somali refugees at the camp in Dadaab. Tens of thousands of refugees are still waiting to be registered and relocated from transition shelters outside of the camps, which mostly consist of sticks covered by clothes, blankets, tarpaulins and any other materials the families can lay their hands on. ShelterBox Response Team member, Julia Schaper (DE), said: ‘The situation is desperate for thousands of families living in very bad conditions. Driving through the transit areas it became immediately obvious that there is a huge need and we now want to get our tents up and families moved into them as quickly as possible.’ Nearly one hundred ShelterBox tents have already been pitched at the camp. Each tent can house an extended family, providing them with privacy, a secure living space and shelter from the elements. IOM project manager, Rommel Deguzman, who is working side by side with the ShelterBox team in the field, said: ‘More than 12,000 tents are needed for this camp. ShelterBox are professional and hands on. It would be great if we can continue working with them to meet this urgent need.’