To the charity workers, Dadaab refugee camp is a humanitarian crisis; to the Ken
yan government, it is a 'nursery for terrorists'; to the western media, it is a
dangerous no-go area; but to its half a million residents, it is their last reso
rt. Situated hundreds of miles from any other settlement, deep within the inhosp
itable desert of northern Kenya where only thorn bushes grow, Dadaab is a city l
ike no other. Its buildings are made from mud, sticks or plastic, its entire eco
nomy is grey, and its citizens survive on rations and luck.
