NAIROBI, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- Three UN agencies on Wednesday expressed great concern at growing overcrowding in three refugee camps in eastern Kenya because of an influx so far this year of more than 56,000 asylum seekers fleeing conflict in Somalia.

    The UN refugee agency UNHCR, the World Food Program (WFP) and UNICEF Kenya said more than 6,000 new asylum seekers arrived in the three refugee camps at Dadaab in October alone, taking their population to 224,000 compared to 171,000 at the start of the year.

    "We may soon face a humanitarian crisis if we continue depending on the three existing camps to accommodate the new arrivals," said UNHCR Representative Liz Ahua, noting that the three camps in Dadaab are crammed with nearly three times the number of people they were designed for.

    The majority of those who have arrived are from Mogadishu. Others are mainly from Lower Juba regions of Kismayo, Jamame and Afmadow.

    UNHCR has had a series of meetings with the government, local authorities and host communities on how to best manage the issue of overcrowding in the camps. UNHCR has asked the government to allocate extra land where a new camp can be built.

    "We need to extend the facilities at the camps, where for instance food distribution points were only designed to serve 90,000 people so are now extremely crowded because of new arrivals," said WFP Kenya Country Director Burkard Oberle. "And we need a new camp."

    "The influx from Somalia is adding to the costs of feeding and caring for the refugees at Dadaab," said Oberle. "If the flow continues, our need for contributions will only rise, so we need renewed donor support at this difficult time."

    UNHCR and other agencies have been working throughout 2008 to improve the general living conditions of the refugees but the needs are huge and funds insufficient.

    "Poor shelter, sanitation and shortage of non-food items are posing a great challenge to the new refugees especially now that the rainy season is here," said Ahua.

    "As has been experienced in refugee camps the world over, congestion creates an unsafe environment for women and children," said UNICEF Kenya Representative Olivia Yambi.

    "Without additional resources, UNICEF's support for critical nutrition programs, including the management of life-threatening severe malnutrition, in Dadaab will cease at the end of the year. This will leave 10,000 children and 35,000 women of childbearing age, as well as new arrivals, without these essential services." said Yambi.

    UNHCR is working on a contingency plan should the influx continue at the same pace or accelerate.

    The refugee agency estimates that should conditions in Somalia deteriorate further, some 60,000 to 100,000 may cross into Kenya next year.

    Additional human and financial resources will be needed to provide legal and humanitarian assistance to the current and future population.

    UNHCR, WFP and UNICEF and all partners announced they will launch an appeal to the donor community to come to the aid of these refugees.