Overview
• Introduction: Goudoubo was established on 18 October 2012 to cater for the refugees located in the former camps of Fererio, Gandafabou and Deou, who had to be re-located to Goudoubo in order to comply with international standards of being located more than 50 km from the border. The camp is one of three official sites and hosts 3,098 families of 10,642 individuals. Families at Goudoubo own approx. 2,000 domestic animals comprising goats, sheep, cattle and donkeys.
• Geography and Implications: Goudoubo is located 17 km north-west of Dori, capital of the Sahel Region in the central province. Dori lies 270 km north of Ouagadougou, capital of Burkina Faso. An average of 30 Malian refugees continues to cross into Burkina Faso through Inabao and Markoye border points every month to arrive at Goudoubo.
• Hosting Capacity: The camp has the assessed capacity to host 21,000 individuals. The Government has planned to relocate refugees to Tonga, 40 km west of Dori, should Goudoubo camp reach its assessed capacity.
• Camp Management and Coordination: Goudoubo camp is coordinated by UNHCR, administered by the CONAREF and managed by IEDA-Relief, an implementing partner of UNHCR. IEDA Relief is also responsible for Community Services activities and ensures that the full participation of the refugees in camp life through camp committees.
• Refugee Committees: Committees existing in the camp include the Executive Committee (10 members, 3 women); the Committee of Elders (8 members, 3 women); the Youth Committee (10 members, 5 women); the Distribution Committee (12 members, 4 women); the Health Committee (4 members, 2 women); the Nutrition and Food Security Committee (4 members, 2 women); the Hygiene and Sanitation Committee (6 members, 3 women); the Water Committee (6 members, no women); and the Shelter Committee (5 members, no women). All these committees have been trained by UNHCR and IEDA-Relief in principles of coordination and administration of camps; roles and responsibilities of each committee; UNHCR Code of Conduct and International Refugee Protection; as well as the importance of the principle of non-discrimination.
• Health: in order to ensure that both the host population and the refugees have access to free and quality health care, UNHCR health partner Médecins du Monde-Spain has constructed two health centres (one in semi-durable material and a tent health center).
• Nutrition: In Goudoubo camp, UNHCR continued to work on the reduction and prevention of MAM/SAM cases and responding to the high rates of GAM (24,5%). Routine activities by Save the Children include the distribution of individual ration cards as well as blanket feedings for 1,086 refugee children (0 to 59 months) eligible for this programme. Save the Children has also continued culinary demonstrations undertaken for all blocks of Goudoubo camp, with 2,475 participants (710 Women | 37 Men | 1,728 Children) undertaken by the refugees themselves. Additionally, UNICEF undertakes sensitizations on the importance of breast-feeding, the importance of the use of Vitamin A after giving birth among others. Additionally, outreach officers have also been active in the camps to locate the children who have not presented themselves to their regular nutrition check up.
• Water and Sanitation: NGO Oxfam is implementing community-based water and sanitation activities with an Executive Water Committee (composed of 2 members) and an Executive Hygiene and Sanitation Committee (composed of 3 persons).
• Education: NGO partner Plan Burkina ensures access to primary education for children in Goudoubo with the construction of 24 classrooms.
• Income-Generating Activities: the NGO Terre des Hommes-Lausanne provides Income-Generating Activity grants to 222 women and 96 men in Goudoubo, Sag-nioniogo and Bobo-Dioulasso, which then develop activities in activities such as sewing, artisanal soap-making, preparation and selling of condiments, Touareg handicraft, leather, sculptures, clothing, forging, startcapital for small shops, preparation of beauty products, clothes, as well as for the sale of grains and livestock sale among others.
• Child Protection: There are currently seven child-friendly spaces in Goudoubo where Plan Burkina provides educational activities for children of all ages.
• Environment: UNHCR has a partnership with NGO OCADES, which is responsible for distributing firewood to refugees so that refugee women and girls will not be exposed to potential sexual based violence as well as reducing illegal cutting of firewood. With a partnership with Help-Germany, UNHCR has reforested 25 ha of land and recuperated 60 ha of degraded land in favour of the host community residing in and around the camps in the Sahel.
• Civilian and Humanitarian Character of Camps: Security of Goudoubo camp is ensured by the presence of 12 security agents that have been trained by UNHCR in International Refugee Law and International Human Rights Law.
