URGENT APPEAL!

Support for our Sisters in Kakuma needed urgently!

We heard from our sisters in Kakuma this morning (29 April 2023), following another attack on them last night. I will leave it to them to say what happened:

“We had a terrible night in the camp. It was around 2am and it had rained heavily earlier before and because of the bad weather the gay men who were supposed to be on watch were all sleeping in their shelters.

 One of the shelters for lesbians where Shifra and others sleep was attacked by 5 tall men who we suspected to be Sudanese because of the language they were speaking. We were all in deep sleep and somehow they managed to open a part or an iron sheet next to the door and they opened for themselves from the inside. They were already inside when we realised it with pangs and one with a big stick in their hands and we were told not to make noise. Shifra tried to make noise but was beaten on the hands and it is now swollen.

They took whatever they wanted including bags of clothes our mattresses, food, shoes and everything they wanted. And no one heard what was happening. Immediately when they moved out we screamed and everyone was awakened. The gay men tried to search around but couldn't get them as it was dark. We called the police and this time they tried to come in time they searched around but they got nothing they recorded our statements and kept around till morning, and they have now left it's really terrible we are all in fear, pain and we lost everything.

This is Juliet I have used Shifra's phone because mine is out of battery and Shifra can't write”.

Can you imagine the fear when five tall men enter your small space of sanctuary? The gay men in Block 13 do try and keep watch every night in shifts because of the previous attacks but were obviously defeated by the weather. Of course, it’s not a duty they should have to maintain in the first place.

I decided not to include the photos of injuries, but having seen them it’s clear why Shifra is not able to write.

Once again, the women have lost nearly everything. We will of course lobby UNHCR for help and support, but I am aware from previous incidents, it is not likely to be heard. So, if you can help our Sisters in this terrible time and show that that while they experience such prejudice and abuse within the camp, there is love and respect for them from across the world.

Find out more about the life for the women in Kakuma. Please donate if you are able to support our Sisters.

I will leave the final words to one of our Sisters in Kakuma

“We are really traumatised about the incident, we can't do this anymore . This is really too much on us, However hard we try to keep ourselves out of danger it still comes to us and in a harsh way, sisters we only have one life and once it's gone, it’s gone for good these people don't want to see us alive they only want to see us suffering, now we are going to nurse the wounds”