By Matik Kueth
A deepening humanitarian crisis has unfolded in Kenya’s Kakuma Refugee Camp, just four months after the Trump administration began reassessing U.S. foreign aid programs.
While aid reductions were anticipated to strain services, conditions in both Kakuma and Dadaab camps have deteriorated far beyond initial concerns, reaching critical levels by May 2025.
Washington’s decision to slash foreign assistance is triggering widespread economic instability, severely impacting the over 700,000 refugees from 24 nations who rely on support in the two camps. The most immediate threat is the collapse of financial self-sufficiency among refugees, leaving many unable to meet their basic needs.
Until recently, the World Food Programme (WFP) injected Ksh200 million monthly into Kenya’s Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camps through the Bamba Chakula initiative. This cash-based assistance allowed refugees to purchase food and essential goods from approved local vendors, supporting both the camps’ residents and the surrounding small businesses.
However, recent reductions in WFP funding have triggered a sharp economic downturn. With less money to spend, refugees have cut back on purchases, significantly reducing demand and pushing local retailers who depend heavily on this customer base—to the brink of collapse. The broader economy of Kakuma now teeters on the edge.
Food insecurity has worsened dramatically. Collins Buleti, Head of Programme at Kakuma Camp, reports that food rations now meet only 40% of daily nutritional needs down from 80% in 2022. He warns the situation could deteriorate further from June 2025 if immediate action is not taken.
WFP supplies food once a month, but with current shortages, existing stocks could be depleted within just two weeks. The strain is made worse by a steady influx of new arrivals fleeing conflict, hunger, and instability in neighboring countries.
In response, residents of both Kakuma and Dadaab have staged peaceful demonstrations, appealing to local and national authorities to urgently intervene.
Humanitarian organizations on the ground caution that without swift and substantial support, the camps could face a full-blown humanitarian catastrophe in the months ahead.