Refugee Operations

Kenya Red Cross has had a presence in Turkana since 1992. The Society has since offered the RFL (Reunification and Family Links) and child protection services. It has also responded to humanitarian disasters such as disease outbreaks, drought, flash floods, fires. Moreover, Kenya Red Cross works with the government to strengthen health systems through capacity building, human resource support and drugs and commodity support.

In 2016, through Kenya Red Cross, the facility began as a temporary tented structure acting as an improved dispensary that offered Out-Patient services and referral services. With funding from UNHCR and leveraging on experience gained from the Dadaab refugee operation – working with the ministry of health, emergency responses in Kenya and lessons from disease outbreaks responses in Congo (Ebola) and capacity development from ICRC and IFRC – Kenya Red Cross set up a level 2 facility, at the Kalobeyei settlement under KISEP.

From 2017 to date, the Society has been supporting the asylum seekers and stranded refugees along the Western flight corridor and border points of Migori, Busia, Kisumu, Malaba, Bungoma, and any other point of collection within the Rift Valley and entire Western Kenya to Kitale for onward facilitation to Kakuma refugee camp for refugee status determination and registration by Refugee Affairs Secretariat, currently Department of Refugee Affairs.

The Kalobeyei health facility (Natukobenyo Health Centre) has transformed over the years and in 2022, was upgraded to a level 3 facility. The facility offers 24-hour out-patient services, inpatient BEMONC (basic emergency obstetric and newborn care), isolation services, night hours accommodation of survivors of GBV and vibrant patient referral services for patients who require inpatient services not covered above.

The target population is approximately 43,000 refugees and asylum seekers and 10,000 beneficiaries from the host community.