About Kakuma and why LGBTQIA+ refugees are in dire need of support:

Kakuma Refugee Camp is one of the largest refugee camps in the world. The camp is home to over 200,000 refugees from various countries, including South Sudan, Somalia, Burundi, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and a smaller proportion of the refugees from Uganda. The camp is an initiative of UNICEF that handles the administration, legal and operations in the camp.

The estimated number of LGBTQIA+ refugees is 500, however, there's a high degree of uncertainty, as there're always more queer refugees that are coming into the camp and aren't properly accounted for leading to stagnation in official numbers.

Many LGBTQIA+ refugees have fled their home countries due to persecution and discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity, as their countries criminalize homosexuality, the act is heavily punishable by law. In the end, they find themselves in a camp where those same issues persist.

In Kakuma, LGBTQIA+ refugees face discrimination, harassment, and violence from both other refugees and the local community. They face a lot of stigmatization and mistreatment which the authorities are fully aware of but haven't implemented a durable solution continuing to make empty promises, yet refugees continue suffering and feeling emotional abuse.

In addition, there have been reports of violent attacks on LGBTQIA+ refugees in the camp, including stabbings, beatings, and rape. These attacks are often perpetrated by other refugees, and there have been concerns about the lack of protection for LGBTQIA+ refugees in the camp.

The Camp is a community of mostly Islamic refugees. Queer people stand no chance of not being accosted, but rather are seen as abnormal people and agents of the devil. On the other hand, Kenya as a country also criminalizes homosexuality and the Kenyan nationals are also completely homophobic, yet they are service providers like social workers, teachers, health workers, security, etc.

This to a certain extent brings a gap between queer refugees and the social service space in addition to the living conditions in the camp being extremely difficult, with overcrowding, lack of access to basic services, and limited opportunities for education or employment.

 

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are working to support LGBTQIA+ refugees in Kakuma. They provide safe spaces, counseling, and legal assistance, among other services. However, resources are limited, and the situation for LGBTQIA+ refugees in Kakuma remains very difficult.

The UNHCR through the WFP oversee food distribution in the camp provide for each person: 4kg of corn, 1 liter of cooking oil and 1kg of split peas, as a ration that is expected for 2 months until the next food ration leading. This is increasing hunger because it's definitely not enough.

 

The issues concerning health are handled by IRC. Queer refugees find difficulty in accessing public medical facilities because of the biased nature of other refugees and the health workers and medical facilities aren't equipped with enough medicine forcing them to resort to expensive private medication.

Overall, the situation for LGBTQIA+ refugees in Kakuma is a challenging one, and much more needs to be done to ensure their safety and well-being. This includes increasing awareness and education about LGBTQIA+ issues among other refugees and the local community, as well as improving access to essential services and protection.

The LGBTQIA+ community is in desperate need of advocacy to get medication and basic necessities.  Durable solutions like a safe place where they can exercise their rights, provision of learning projects to educate them with new skills that can solve the problem of unemployment and improve sustainability in the long run.

Importantly, no one from the LGBTQIA+ community gets official refugee status. It increases the problem of them getting access to jobs, education or migrations. Seeking refugee status can be a complex and difficult process for LGBTQIA+ individuals, as many countries do not recognize sexual orientation or gender identity as grounds for persecution and protection.

The UNHCR recognizes that persecution based on sexual orientation or gender identity can be grounds for granting refugee status. However, individual countries have different laws and policies regarding the recognition of LGBTQIA+ refugees. This is not happening in Kakuma, because local middlemen are homophobic and block the process.

Some countries, such as Canada and Germany, have more progressive policies and recognize sexual orientation and gender identity as grounds for granting asylum. Other countries, however, do not have such policies in place and may deny asylum to LGBTQIA+ refugees.

In addition, the process of seeking asylum can be particularly challenging for LGBTQIA+ refugees, as they may face further discrimination and harassment from immigration officials and other refugees. LGBTQIA+ refugees may also be required to provide additional evidence of their sexual orientation or gender identity, which can be difficult in countries where homosexuality or transgender identity is criminalized or taboo.

Overall, while the UNHCR recognizes persecution based on sexual orientation or gender identity as grounds for granting refugee status, much more needs to be done to ensure that LGBTQIA+ individuals can access the protection and support they need. This includes advocacy for more inclusive policies and procedures in countries around the world, as well as increased awareness and education about the challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ refugees.

This petition is an initiative of Choice, an LGBTQIA+ community that stands for diversity, equity and inclusion and would like to awaken social responsibility of the whole humanity.

Choice is working under the program, that may help and educate the Queer community in Africa.

The program is based on simple pillars and addresses to create a Safe Space for LGBTQIA from Kakuma refugee camp:
1. Protection ( food and proper medication)
2. Refugee status determination 
3. Relocation 
4. Work 
5. Education

There have been multiple initiatives previously that addressed the same issues, however, the problem has not been solved and we would like to ask your voice and support this time so we can take further actions and end the unfair and inhuman treatment in Kakuma camp for queer people.