By Martin Fletcher, NBC News Correspondent  

KAKUMA, Northern Kenya, October 24, 2009 – They shuffle aimlessly in the dust: 50,000 refugees crammed into thousands of huts made from branches, leaves, mud and plastic in the Kakuma camp in Northern Kenya.

Natives of Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda, the refugees have fled wars aggravated by drought, yet even here the supply of water is sporadic. They eat once a day from supplies provided by aid agencies. Kakuma is one of the oldest and largest refugee camps in the world and some people have been here since 1991 when it was established.

They don’t like to talk to strangers about their problems, but the roads are lined by placards, erected by aid agencies, with slogans and exhortations that are like windows into the refugees’ pain.

The most graphic reads: "STOP FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION – IT IS A HEALTH HAZARD (RISK)." The signs are in English, Kenya’s official language, but since the camp’s residents speak a wide variety of regional and native languages, the words are incomprehensible to most refugees.

However anyone can get the message from the disturbing illustration of a woman kneeling with a razor while a mother offers up her infant girl. Female genital mutilation is almost universal in Somalia and common in neighboring countries.

Another exhorts people to "STOP WIFE INHERITANCE" – the practice of giving a widow to the dead man’s brother. Originally this was done to protect the widow, who may not otherwise find another husband, but aid workers say it reduces women to the level of chattel. It is one of the key issues they raise when trying to educate women about their rights, but there is a major problem: men are the leaders here and they must agree to end the practice.

In a crowded area, health issues dominate. "STOP BIRD FLU," "MALARIA KILLS," "A COUGH OR 2 COULD BE TB," "PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN – TAKE THEM FOR IMMUNIZATION" are all posters that are seen by tens of thousands of refugees a day.

Each has a drawing that explains the foreign words. One shows a nurse injecting babies with immunizations while mothers wait patiently in line holding their infants. Another shows a toilet that has been cleaned while people wash their hands to avoid diarrhea which, the poster warns, kills more than 3 million people a year – "WASH HANDS, WASH FOOD!"

AIDS/HIV is another big issue, with one large poster encouraging people to help each other – "THERE IS HOPE FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS – SUPPORT THOSE AFFECTED IN YOUR COMMUNITIES."

Thousands of young men congregate in the narrow alleys and clearings with nothing to do – no jobs, no high school, and no idea when they’ll be able to return home. Many end up spending their time chewing a cheap root drug called khat.

Girls often are forced into prostitution, violence is endemic, especially between different ethnic groups, and killings are common. Posters encourage refugees to report any suspicious activities. It isn’t clear how widespread AIDS is among the refugees. Condoms are freely available, but aid workers say they mostly stay in their wrappers.

Domestic abuse is another problem that aid agencies and church groups battle. "STOP DOMESTIC VIOLENCE" demands one poster, illustrated by a kneeling woman warding off a blow from a standing man.

Another poster, put up by the Lutheran church, says "PROHIBITION OF SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE." It is followed by a densely written explanation of what constitutes such abuse, where to report it and encouragement that abuse is never the fault of the victim. The warning appears to be directed at aid workers who are members of the Lutheran church as much as the refugees, and instructs the Lutherans that they are expected to uphold the highest standards at all times.

There are some encouraging signs though. Several posters describe the food groups: "A GOOD DIET = HEALTHY BODY+HEALTHY MIND+HEALTHY SOUL = LONG LIFE!" It shows mouth-watering pictures of savory chicken, fresh vegetables and fruit, milk and grains. The poster was put up by the U.N. refugee agency but unfortunately bears little reality to real life: refugees are given grain twice a month and those in particular need, like infants, the elderly and the sick, get supplements.

As drought in the region endures and aid budgets drop, food supplies have declined, not only in Kenya but in the entire region of East Africa and the Horn of Africa. Gabriella Menezes, the Nairobi spokesperson for the World Food Program, says that her organization needs to raise a billion dollars to feed all those in need – for the next six months.

Rain would help alleviate some of the camp’s hunger problems, but the only truly effective solution would be to end the wars that keep the refugees from going home. Indeed, one sign reads: "A PEACEFUL SUDAN AWAITS ME FOR PEACEFUL DEVELOPMENT." Politicians have agreed to stop the fighting in part of Sudan, and most of the Sudanese refugees have left Kakuma camp. But that doesn’t mean the refugee population is declining – their place has been taken by Somalis who are fleeing the ongoing violence, poverty and government instability in their own country.

As we pulled out of the camp some workers were digging holes for a new poster, which was lying on the ground, ready to spread its forlorn message: "PEACE TO ALL."

Source: Msnbc.com - Martin Fletcher - ‎Oct 21, 2009‎

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