Sept 4, 2019(Nyamilepedia) — As the number of suicide cases soars in Kenya’s Kakuma Refugee Camp, a 23-year-old South Sudanese woman – mother of four, has committed self-poisoning by ingesting a mixture of Black Henna Powder paste that contains highly toxic chemicals and harmful ingredients.
Black Henna Hair Dye is a substance dye mixed with a toxic chemical called Paraphenylenedianine that is so dangerous to human health.
Speaking in an exclusive interview, Nyater Matai, the patient, told Nyamilepedia that life in such a sprawling camp is worthless and that she prefers to die over seeing her young children suffer while she’s still alive.
She felt hopeless and helpless after unsuccessful attempts, trying to look for a lost PIN for an ATM card. A new system provided by the UN Refugee Agency, (UNHCR) as a partial alternative to monthly food rations for refugees.
“The problem stemmed from lack of support, I’m raising unsupported children, I go to UNHCR and Equity Bank to look for the missing PIN number and every time a new PIN is renewed, it doesn’t work. I’ve been up and down looking for it until I made a decision to kill myself,” she said.
She is currently being hospitalized at the IRC Hospital and receiving oxygen therapy in an effort to maintain an adequate amount of oxygen.
Located in northwestern part of the country, Kakuma refugee camp is home to thousands of South Sudan’s refugees and asylum seekers who have fled the country following the outbreak of violence in 2013.
