World Refugee Day (SLIDESHOW)

Tomorrow on June 20th the world will celebrate and acknowledge World Refugee Day. This is a day to remember all of the refugees worldwide who have been displaced due to conflict in their own countries.

One of the longest and most brutal conflicts in our time has been the collapse of the Somali government and the chaos that has ensued. The conflict in Somalia has displaced millions of people and left millions more trapped in their own country without assistance.

Dadaab refugee camp is now the largest refugee camp in the world and houses some 280,000 refugees. Most of these refugees are from Somalia, but there are also others who have fled violence in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, Uganda and the Congo. I have had the opportunity to spend some time working in Dadaab and the challenges that the people there face are overwhelming. As overwhelming as it is, there are also many people and organizations working to improve the situation there. Most importantly, however, are the refugees themselves who have an inner strength and ingenuity that we celebrate tomorrow. These photos are just a reflection of what it is like in Dadaab.