In the Kakuma refugee camp in northern Kenya, the end of international aid from the USA is disrupting the fragile balance of lives in exile. The consequences are already visible on the ground, with drastically reduced food rations, rising violence, closure of essential services and massive school drop-out rates. The Kenyan government is trying to intervene, but the gap is too wide to be bridged by a single country, according to officials in one of Africa’s largest refugee camps.
Humanitarian actors and residents of the Kakuma refugee camp in northern Kenya have been voicing their concerns ever since it was announced that part of US aid would be suspended. The camp, home to hundreds of thousands of refugees, relied heavily on this support to guarantee access to water, education, food and security. Today, the effects of this decision are being felt on a daily basis.
Most of the cases that are being reported are cases of people who have received food from the World Food Program and then somebody will come to steal that food. Or the people who grab each other’s mobile phones and then sell them. Most of the classrooms are full, the facilities are being overstretched and therefore when there’s no funding, we are seeing a lot of problems that will come in the future.
Edwin CHABALI, Kakuma Refugee Camp Manager
According to the camp manager, cases of domestic and community violence have increased significantly in recent months. Several NGOs have suspended their activities, particularly in the field of education. At Future Primary School in Kalobeyei Settlement Village 3, over 400 learners have dropped out since the withdrawal of US aid was announced. The head teacher sees a direct link between this and the declining living conditions.
We are still making follow-up using the class teachers, using the PTAs, and BOMs but from what we are getting is that this freezing of aid is affection te community because they are no longer receiving the amount of food they used to get from the WFP and the small amount they used to receive to support their family was also cut off.
Our organization deals in planting trees and other environmental activities but we had partner organizations supported by the USAID and the UNHCR that were doing water tracking but because of these funding cuts, that support is now taken away. The funding cuts will actually have a huge impact on refugees and the host community because the majority of the organizations we are partnering with are downsizing their staff and also their activities.
Dennis MUTISO, Deputy Director of Girl Child Network
While needs remain overwhelming, the withdrawal of certain donors is undermining the humanitarian achievements of recent years. For the Kakuma refugees, the future looks more uncertain than ever. Without international support, it is the most vulnerable – children, women and the elderly – who are already paying the highest price. The Kakuma camp is home to over 304,000 refugees from 23 different nationalities, the majority of whom are South Sudanese.
