Dadaab

Can a refugee camp become a prison? And at the same time, can a refugee camp become a homeland? This is the contradiction faced by the inhabitants of the largest refugee camp in the world, Dadaab, in northeastern Kenya, which marked its 20th anniversary in 2011. This is the case of Omar, a young Somali man who arrived in Dadaab in 1991 when the war broke out in Somalia and UNHCR established the camp. The memory of his previous life is reduced to a few blurry images. In these two decades, he has become part of what could be called the middle class of the camp. His friends Hassan and Mohamed are in the same situation. Yet, their goal is to obtain one of the precious and scarce visas that will allow them to start a new life in another country. Omar has succeeded and is preparing to leave for Australia. While they think about leaving, thousands of people arrive every month from Somalia, where the war continues. N-0 is one of the areas where newcomers can settle, and Mohamed Ali acts as a host and leader there. For them, the camp means safety, but starting a new life in Dadaab is not easy either. A few leave, and many arrive. All of them, “hoping for the best but prepared for the worst.”

Oriol Andrés, Carlos Castro, Gemma Garcia

2011

50 minutes

Fora de quadre