Ifo Refugee Camp — Dadaab, Kenya

Camp overview

Ifo is one of the long-standing refugee camps in the Dadaab refugee complex in Garissa County, north-eastern Kenya, near the border with Somalia. Dadaab was established in 1991 during the Somali civil war. The refugee population has historically been overwhelmingly Somali, while also including people from other countries in East and Central Africa.

Ifo should be distinguished from the former Ifo 2 camp/settlement, which was consolidated and closed as a camp in 2018, with residents moving to other Dadaab camps or returning voluntarily.

Archived and historical population context

Archived figure: a 2017 UNHCR nutrition survey described the wider Dadaab complex as hosting about 208,000 registered refugees at the time. Population figures have changed substantially since then and must not be presented as current.

Current-complex context: UNHCR reported 381,217 refugees and asylum-seekers across Dadaab camps and the Ifo 2 settlement area as of 29 February 2024, of whom 364,432 were registered. This is a complex-wide figure, not an Ifo-only figure.

Shelter

Refugee housing in Dadaab has included mud-walled structures with iron-sheet roofing as well as temporary shelters for new arrivals. Flooding has periodically damaged shelters and cut access routes.

WASH

Water supply in Dadaab depends on a network of boreholes, pumps and distribution infrastructure. Flooding creates risks to water systems and sanitation, while drought and population growth increase pressure on supply. WASH indicators have been regularly monitored through UNHCR’s SENS surveys.

Health and nutrition

UNHCR currently lists health services in Dadaab across hospitals and health posts, with dedicated camp contact routes. Historical SENS data found serious acute-malnutrition conditions in Ifo in 2017 and critical anaemia levels among young children across the camps, illustrating the importance of continuous nutrition surveillance.

Protection

Protection work includes registration, documentation, child protection, gender-based violence response, legal assistance, community-based protection and support for vulnerable households. New arrivals and people affected by floods or insecurity may face heightened risks.

Education

Education in Dadaab is delivered through camp schools and partner-supported programmes. As of February 2024, UNHCR reported 45,651 students across 23 primary and six secondary schools in the Dadaab operation.

Livelihoods

Livelihoods include informal trade, services, vocational activities, cash-based assistance and partner programmes. Movement restrictions, legal status and labour-market access can limit opportunities.

Logistics and access

Dadaab’s remote location and seasonal flooding can disrupt roads, fuel supply and humanitarian access. Historic flood reports describe the need to maintain generators and water pumps and, at times, to reroute or delay refugee transfers.

Maps and location references

UNHCR and UNOSAT have published camp overview and emergency-assessment maps for Ifo and the wider Dadaab complex, including an Emergency Assessment of Ifo Refugee Camp dated 17 August 2011 and a Kenya — Ifo Refugee Camp Overview published in 2012.

Sources and verification

• Requested original URL targets: worldsaid.com/refugee-camps/ifo-refugee-camp-kenya and worldsaid.com/ifo-refugee-camp.
• UNHCR Data Portal — Emergency Assessment of Ifo Refugee Camp (UNOSAT), 17 August 2011.
• UNHCR Data Portal — Kenya, Ifo Refugee Camp Overview, 2012.
• UNHCR SENS, Dadaab Refugee Camps, 2017.
• UNHCR Kenya Operational Update, February 2024.
• Wayback verification targets remain pending; no specific snapshot date is claimed.