34 Somali returnees leave Kakuma camp for Baidoa in Somalia

Some 34 Somali returnees Thursday headed to Baidoa from Kakuma camp in northern Kenya as part of the repatriation programme between Somalia, Kenya and the refugee agency UNHCR.

The returnees, most of them children and women join 82 others who have left the camp since April this year. The repatriation was carried out by the UNHCR partner, Norwegian Refugee Council. UNHCR said Thursday the repatriation process is still ongoing.

Kakuma camp is mainly occupied by refugees from South Sudan but a few Somalis have also been living in the camp for many years. The government of Kenya declared April it close down Dadaab camp which hosts more than 300,000 Somali refugees.