By Arasha Soila
A tragic stampede at the Ifo 2 Refugee Camp in Dadaab Sub-County has claimed the life of 28-year-old Ms Khadija Noor, an expectant mother. The incident, which occurred during a food distribution exercise, has sparked widespread outrage, with many describing it as a preventable tragedy stemming from poor planning and inadequate crowd control.
In a statement addressing the incident, Garissa County Woman Representative, Hon. Udgoon Siyad, expressed deep concern over the failure of coordination in humanitarian efforts.
“It is unacceptable that in the pursuit of basic sustenance, lives are being put at risk. No woman should lose her life in a setting meant to provide relief and refuge,” she said.
Hon. Siyad called for an immediate and thorough investigation by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the World Food Programme (WFP), the Department of Refugee Services (DRS), and all other relevant stakeholders. She emphasised the need for systemic accountability and urgent reforms to prevent future occurrences.
“Khadija’s death must not be in vain. We must honour her memory by ensuring that every refugee, especially the most vulnerable, is treated with dignity and protected from avoidable harm,” she added.
She further urged humanitarian organisations to decentralise food distribution centres to reduce congestion, enhance crowd management protocols, and improve on-the-ground emergency response mechanisms.
Meanwhile, the Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI) organisation also condemned the incident, describing it as a preventable tragedy resulting from poor planning and lack of proper crowd control measures.
In a statement, MUHURI expressed outrage at the inadequacies of the coordination process, which involved the WFP and DRS, and called for urgent reforms in the management of relief distribution in refugee camps.
