The IDP Camp

At work this week I went into the field and visited an IDP (Internally Displaced Person) Camp. There are 1,400 people living on 16 acres in the outskirts of Nakuru. They were displaced after the 2007 election when there was violence throughout the country. They are all Kenyans, IDPs are different from refugees because IDPs are displaced within their own countries while refugees flee the home country. There was a dispute over the validity of the election and the result was widespread attacks between different tribes (there are over 40 ethnic groups in Kenya). So these people have been living in tents for 5 years and most have no plans to return home. They fear potential violence and would rather stay in the camp, even though living conditions are tough. Proper nutrition are shelter and the two main issues people face. One family we were supposed to visit was in mourning for a young HIV positive boy who had recently died. His body was still in the house, waiting for burial so we did not go inside. Without a good diet, treatment for the disease is difficult.