These days, what nationality would most people associate with refugees? In light of recent events, Syrians are probably the first group to come to mind. Asked for further examples, avid news readers might cite Iraqis and Ukrainians who have fled conflicts, or Palestinians who’ve languished in camps for decades. But what about Somalis? Who has heard of Dadaab, a Kenyan town (unmarked on any official map) populated almost entirely by Somali refugees? In City of Thorns, Ben Rawlence attempts to help Western readers understand the saga of Dadaab and the plight of its half million or so inhabitants. It’s an indispensable account of, as the subtitle puts it, “Nine Lives in the World’s Largest Refugee Camp.”
Of course, the nine lives mentioned in the book’s subtitle aren’t a reference to the number of times a Dadaab resident can defy death. Rather, they’re the disparate individuals Rawlence profiles, including a twentysomething porter who has spent his entire life in one of the camps, a young man who arrives penniless after fleeing forcible conscription at the hands of al-Shabaab, and a headstrong woman who faces ostracism and worse after marrying a Sudanese Christian.
To be fair, such an undertaking is daunting. After all, as the author points out, Dadaab has grown into “an urban mecca on the arid red plain, the biggest city for 500 miles around.” Even if some refugees voluntarily return to a peaceful Somalia in the distant future, many—especially those born and raised in the camps—are likely to remain where they are. “No one,” remarks Rawlence, “wants to admit that the temporary camp of Dadaab has become permanent: not the Kenyan government who must host it, not the UN who must pay for it, and not the refugees who must live there.” v
By Ben Rawlence (Picador)
Rawlence speaks on Wed 2/10, noon University of Chicago Institute of Politics 5707 S. Woodlawn (773) 834-4671politics.uchicago.edu/ Free with RSVP
