Protect LGBTQIA+ Refugees under attack in Camp Kakuma
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1000+ queer refugees live in Camp Kakuma. Life there is quite hard, as homophobia and hatred put these vulnerable refugees in danger. They cannot work or move freely in the camp due to the risk of violence.

My dear friend, has written the following text about living in Kakuma. He fled Uganda at just 17 years old and has been in Kakuma for over two years. He describes some of the attacks the community has faced and what daily life is like.

"I'm a Ugandan by nationality and LGBTIQ activist, leader and representative here in Kenya, Kakuma refugee camp, where I came to seek àsylum due to high risk of insecurities and the Uganda policy not endorsing gay rights.

Kakuma refugee camp is located in north-western Turkana county of Kenya, East Africa. It has over 200,000 refugees, among which over 1000 are the LGBT who have been victims of HOMOPHOBIA and arson attacks.

We have faced a lot of homophobia in this environment, from fellow refugees and the Kenyan natives. The bigotry has been reported several times to the people responsible, including police, Danish refugee camp (DRC), RAS(refugee affairs secretariat)and UNHCR. However, help is still in vain, and authorities say that they're still investigating about our cause together with insecurities that we've got. This has made us seek support from fellow LGBTIQ organizations and individual heart full people to attain medication from private hospitals in the camp.

Additionally, food provided to us by the UNHCR through WFP is very little to sustain us for a month as distributed. Thus seeking for support to overcome food scarcity and hunger. We will be very glad to receive any positive feedback in terms of advice, advocacy and spreading awareness or any other support!
Thanks."

LIFE AT KAKUMA REFUGEE CAMP
Generally, life at Kakuma refugee camp is extremely hard for the LGBTQI community due to rampart HOMOPHOBIA within the camp. This is witnessed by daily attacks by homophobic fellow refugees and the co-host community.

LGBTQI refugees live under great fear whereby we're being targeted by homophobes. This has resulted in severe injuries and permanent scars and infliction of massive pain on people's bodies because these homophobes ambush when armed with machetes, stones, metallic rods and other harmful objects. In due course, property and even lives were lost.

So far we've lost three of our mates already. This was witnessed when two LGBTQI refugees were set on fire where they suffered third-degree burns. This resulted in one (Chriton /Trinidad) losing his life, and the other (Jordan) is on life support in a hospital up to now, struggling with scars. (pictorial evidence available)

On that, sexual harassment has also been witnessed here at Kakuma refugee camp to the LGBTQI community, where lesbians on several occasions have been raped on multiple occasions. This has made Kakuma an extremely most hostile land for LGBTQI community.

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To United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Danish Refugee Council (DRC), Refugee Affairs Secretariat (RAS), United Nations:

Please take action to protect these vulnerable queer refugees. Help them get the proper documentation and interviews to leave Kakuma Refugee Camp and work to get them out of Kenya, as it will be extremely difficult to live as a queer person there. This LGBTQIA+ population is quite small, about ~1k out of ~200k refugees in all of Camp Kakuma and are at high risk every day. There have been some meetings with members of the camp, but little has been done. Monetary support or additional sources of food/supplies are also much needed, as they cannot work due to the threats posed against them. They are forced to seek outside sources of support but this varies drastically, and makes it difficult to get consistent sources of funding and help. 

By helping these refugees get out of the camp, you would be quite literally saving lives. The previous actions of violence and harassment have been reported but little action has been done and the threat is ever present. There is always the threat of arson, as they've been attacked multiple times, resulting in one death and multiple injuries. The community now sleeps in shifts, so they can watch over each other due to these risks. This community (including the children) are at a much higher risk than the average refugee in the camp. These are individuals that came to Kakuma as a last resort option from other countries in Africa and who desperately need protection.

Please give them the support they need and deserve, so they can live happy and free lives. Stop the attacks and give them higher priority in the Refugees Status Determination so they can leave Camp Kakuma for a safer location.

Campaign started by Megan Selander
0people have signed
Goal: 100
Campaign started by Megan Selander

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