Positive effects of refugee presence on host community nutritional status in Turkana County, Kenya

Abstract

Objectives: Refugee camps are often assumed to negatively impact local host communities through resource competition and conflict. We ask instead whether economic resources and trade networks associated with refugees have benefits for host community health and nutrition. To address this question we assess the impacts of Kakuma Refugee Camp in northwest Kenya, comparing anthropometric indicators of nutritional status between Turkana communities in the region.Methods: Participants were recruited at four sites in Turkana County (N 5 586): Kakuma Town, adjacent to Kakuma Refugee Camp; Lorugum, an area with sustained economic development; Lokichoggio, formerly host to international NGOs, and now underdeveloped; and Lorengo, an undeveloped, rural community. We evaluated nutritional status using summed skinfold thickness and body mass index (BMI). Structured interviews provided contextual data.Results: Age-controlled multiple regression models reveal two distinct skinfold thickness profiles for both sexes: comparatively elevated values in Kakuma and Lorugum, and significantly lower values in Lorengo and Lokichoggio. BMI did not vary significantly by location. Despite better nutritional status, a large proportion of Kakuma residents still report worries about basic needs, including hunger, health, and economic security.Conclusions: Kakuma Refugee Camp is associated with better host community energetic status indicators, compared to other relevant, regional sites varying in development and resources. Based on global nutritional standards, observed differences likely represent meaningful disparities in overall health. We suggest that access to cereals via refugee trade networks and employment might mediate this relationship. However, perceptions of refugees as illegitimate interlopers maintain a high psychological burden.

Exploring sources of insecurity for Ethiopian Oromo and Somali women who have given birth in Kakuma Refugee Camp: A Qualitative Study

“…Previous literature has documented that tension between the host community and refugee community is not novel to refugee camps [16][17][18][19]. In our study, we further found that women living in Kalobeyei-far away from the main camp-felt they were at higher risk for violent acts by the host community due to lack of secure environments and established housing.…”

“…Limitations of this study include possible selection bias due to the snowball sampling; however, this was the only feasible methodology within this setting. We opted against randomization for cultural reasons and based on evidence that previous attempts to impose random household visits on refugees have usually resulted in imprecise and inaccurate responses, usually due to survey fatigue [11,19]. Additionally, snowball sampling allowed us to identify women who were willing to tell personal stories in a safe environment.…”

“…There is not even respect when you go there and the first sight when they see you, then how will you expect that you will deliver safely? (Interview 19) In more extreme examples of insecurity at the time of delivery, many women described their own traumatic experience or one that they witnessed. They ill-treat you.…”

What Makes Me Want You Here? Refugee Integration in a Zambian Settlement Setting

“…The insignificance to contact is surprising, as interactions in the goods and labor market can link to hosts' nutrition [45]. One of the few studies about the refugee impact on food security is by Gengo et al [90], which found that trade networks and employment opportunities in a Kenyan refugee camp surrounding have a positive effect on the hosts' nutritional status. In particular, food packages that refugees receive from aid organizations, mainly sold to or traded with residents, contribute to the local food supply [12].…”

The ‘Host’ Label: Forming and Transforming a Community Identity at the Kakuma Refugee Camp

“…The economists also ran simulations to model the effects of several scenarios, including ongoing encampment (the status quo), refugee integration, and decampment (basically refoulment). Their work culminated in several reports and working papers (Alix-Garcia et al 2017;Sanghi et al 2016;Vemuru et al 2016), as well as a number of peer-reviewed articles (Alix-Garcia et al 2018;Gengo et al 2017). These studies have been cited widely as evidence that host countries and communities like Kenya could benefit economically by reducing restrictions on refugee movement and employment, and they also offered an encouraging outlook on plans for the Kalobeyei Integrated Settlement (Mazou 2017).…”