The Kakuma refugee camp in northern Kenya is grappling with a deepening humanitarian crisis as a result of funding cuts from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The decision, made under the Trump administration, has significantly impacted global aid efforts, with the World Food Programme (WFP) warning that over a third of the camp’s residents may soon go without food.
A Humanitarian Emergency in the Making
Empty warehouses at Kakuma’s World Food Programme (WFP) storage facilities tell a grim story. Once filled with life-sustaining food, they now hold just 25% of their usual stock. Among the few remaining supplies are sacks of lentils marked “USA,” a sobering reminder of halted shipments after the U.S. WFP’s largest donor, ceased funding in February.
“These lentils may be the last food this camp receives for months,” said a WFP logistics officer on the ground. “We are rationing what’s left, but the math is not in our favor.”
Kakuma, situated in the arid northwestern corner of Kenya, is home to more than 300,000 refugees fleeing violence and instability in countries like South Sudan, Somalia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Families Struggle to Survive
The consequences of the cuts are most visible in homes like that of Regina Ngole, a South Sudanese mother of seven. Her food aid for June and July rice, cooking oil, and lentils are already gone. Now, she feeds her children whatever leaves she can forage from the dusty camp surroundings.
“My two-year-old has been in and out of the hospital,” Regina says, watching anxiously as a community health worker checks her daughter’s vitals. “She is better now, but I don’t know for how long.”
Health workers at the camp report a worrying rise in malnutrition cases, especially among children under five. Without intervention, the situation could escalate into a full-blown nutritional emergency.
Aid Workers Sound the Alarm
In August, WFP announced that due to ongoing shortages, more than one-third of Kakuma’s population would not receive any food rations at all. The organization has been forced to prioritize the most vulnerable cases, leaving many families to fend for themselves.
“These are people who have already lost everything,” said a spokesperson for the UN refugee agency (UNHCR). “With no jobs and limited access to farming or markets, food aid is their last lifeline.”
Though some refugees have managed to set up small businesses or find informal employment within the camp, the majority remain heavily dependent on humanitarian assistance.
A Call for Global Responsibility
The crisis at Kakuma is a stark reminder of the ripple effects caused by foreign policy decisions. The U.S. withdrawal of aid under the previous administration is now having life-threatening consequences for tens of thousands.
Humanitarian leaders are urging donor nations and global institutions to step in and fill the funding gap. “What’s happening in Kakuma is not just a Kenyan problem, it’s a global responsibility,” said WFP’s regional director for East Africa.
Looking Ahead
With warehouses nearly empty and no new shipments in sight, time is running out for Kakuma’s refugees. Unless immediate support is mobilized, the coming months could bring widespread hunger and preventable deaths.
“This isn’t just about food,” said the WFP officer. “It’s about dignity, survival, and the world’s commitment to protect the most vulnerable.”
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