Pregnant woman dies during food distribution stampede at Dadaab refugee camp
Khadija’s body is currently at the Ifo 2 Red Cross Hospital, awaiting a postmortem examination.
The Muslims for Human Rights Organisation (MUHURI) has condemned the tragic death of 29-year-old Khadija Noor Abdi, an expectant mother who died during a stampede at Ifo 2 Camp in Dadaab, Garissa County, calling the incident a preventable tragedy caused by poor planning and a lack of crowd control.
The incident reportedly occurred on Friday around noon at the Ifo 2 Food Distribution Center in the Dadaab refugee camp.
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According to MUHURI, Khadija, a mother of three from the Ifo 2 settlement, fainted during the chaotic food distribution exercise and was rushed to the Ifo 2 Red Cross Health Center for treatment.
Tragically, she was pronounced dead despite efforts to save her.
Relatives of the deceased explained that the stampede was triggered by the large crowd and overcrowding at the distribution center. The overcrowding worsened as refugees scrambled to access food, resulting in the stampede.
In a statement, MUHURI expressed outrage over the lack of adequate crowd management during the exercise, which was coordinated by the World Food Programme (WFP), WFP Kenya, and the Department of Refugee Services (DRS).
Eyewitnesses reported that refugees had been waiting in extreme heat for hours, which led to heightened tensions in the crowd. When people began pushing to exit the congested area, a stampede ensued despite efforts by security personnel to control the situation.
“We had been standing in line for hours under the scorching sun. People became restless and started pushing. The officers couldn’t control the crowd, and everyone rushed to exit the area, causing a stampede,” one witness recalled.
MUHURI emphasised that sufficient policies and protective mechanisms exist to safeguard vulnerable groups like pregnant women, but these were not properly enforced during the event.
“In an age where numerous policies and protective mechanisms are established, particularly for vulnerable groups like pregnant women, persons with disabilities, and the elderly, such a loss is not just tragic; it’s unacceptable. It speaks to a grave failure in enforcing these safeguards,” the group said.
Khadija’s body is currently at the Ifo 2 Red Cross Hospital, awaiting a postmortem examination.
The Dadaab refugee camp management released a statement acknowledging the incident and called for urgent action to prevent future tragedies.
“We urge the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), World Food Programme (WFP), Department of Refugee Services (DRS), and implementing partners to immediately assess the situation at all distribution points and take necessary measures to prevent a recurrence,” the statement read.
“This includes decentralising food distribution centres, ensuring better crowd management, and improving emergency response protocols.”
MUHURI also called for immediate action, demanding accountability for the preventable loss and advocating for urgent reforms to prevent such tragedies from happening again.
“We demand accountability for these entirely preventable losses and insist on immediate action to ensure this never happens again. The value of human life must be upheld, and today, we stand together to make sure it is,” MUHURI said.
Garissa Women Representative Amina Udgoon Siyat expressed her heartbreak over the tragic event, describing the incident as a failure of duty by those responsible for the care and protection of vulnerable populations.
“This heartbreaking incident reflects a grave lapse in the planning, coordination, and execution of humanitarian aid efforts. It is unacceptable that in the pursuit of basic sustenance, lives are being put at risk. No woman, let alone a pregnant mother, should lose her life in a setting meant to provide relief and refuge,” Amina said.
As a representative of Garissa County, Amina called for a thorough investigation into the incident by the UNHCR, the WFP, the DRS, and all implementing partners. She emphasised that the investigation should identify where systems failed and lead to tangible reforms.
“I further urge UNHCR, WFP, DRS, and all implementing partners to immediately assess the situation at all food distribution points and take the necessary measures to prevent a recurrence,” Amina added.
She also called for decentralising food distribution centers, improving crowd management, and enhancing emergency response protocols to avoid such future tragedies.
Hadija’s death, Amina said, should inspire reforms to ensure the safety and dignity of every refugee, especially the most vulnerable.
“Hadija’s death must not be in vain. We must honor her memory by ensuring that every refugee—especially the most vulnerable- is treated with dignity, safety, and compassion. It is our collective responsibility to guarantee that such a tragedy never happens again,” she said.
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