Widespread protests erupted on Monday 3 March within the Kakuma refugee camp, located in north-western Kenya, as residents voiced their anger over alarming shortages of food and water.
The demonstrations have raised significant concerns about security in the area, with reports indicating that police responded to the unrest by firing live bullets at the protestors.
Directly to blame for the unrest is US president Donald Trump, who has stopped American funding for international humanitarian programmes – notably ones in Africa.
Kakuma refugee camp: police start shooting as people go hungry
Recent accounts from local media highlight the worsening living conditions in the Kakuma camp, which is home to approximately 200,000 refugees and asylum seekers, making it one of the largest in the world, according to Amnesty International.
Deteriorating conditions have been exacerbated by funding cuts from the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which has led to a reduction in humanitarian aid reaching the region.
The Kakuma camp primarily accommodates refugees fleeing conflict-affected areas in neighbouring countries, such as South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Somalia. As the residents struggle to access essential resources, the rising rates of hunger and insecurity have become major issues of concern.
One Congolese refugee, Mama Kayembe, spoke about the frustrations faced by those living in the Kakuma camp. She said:
Since (Donald) Trump became (US) president, now Kenyans have shifted all the blame on him. Workers are not getting paid and it is blamed on Trump. No medication in hospital — it’s Trump, now we have to pay for school fees and it’s Trump, everything is Trump. We are tired of Trump.
As ABC News reported, police shot at least four refugees.
The cuts to aid have created a dire situation, where essential services are lacking and tensions are escalating among the population. There are fears that without immediate action or alternative funding sources, the situation within Kakuma could become even more untenable, leading to further unrest and suffering for those already facing extreme challenges:
Repercussions in Southern Africa
Meanwhile, the World Food Program (WFP) has announced the closure of its Southern Africa bureau in Johannesburg, South Africa. This decision, made public on 3 March, also follows significant cuts in assistance from USAID.
Cindy McCain, the executive director of the WFP, outlined the reasoning behind this closure in an email while acknowledging the difficult choice that had to be made.
According to a report by Bloomberg, she stated, “We have reached the difficult decision to close WFP’s regional bureau for southern Africa in Johannesburg.” In light of the closure, the WFP plans to merge its Southern Africa operations with those in East Africa, centralising them in Nairobi, Kenya.
Despite this restructuring, WFP spokesperson Tomson Phiri assured that food programmes would persist. He noted that the agency remains committed to serving vulnerable communities effectively, emphasizing “the goal is to stretch every dollar and target maximum resources to our frontline teams,” as reported by Reuters.
The WFP has been a significant provider of food aid, helping over 150 million people in 120 countries. Notably, the organisation was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020 for its humanitarian work.
The timing of this funding cut is particularly troubling for Southern Africa, a region already facing severe drought conditions.
Trump: causing chaos globally?
Last year, an El Niño and climate crisis-induced drought decimated corn harvests by as much as 70%, leading countries like Lesotho, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Namibia to declare a state of national emergency. The WFP has been grappling with funding shortages, having raised only one-fifth of the $400 million required for drought response efforts in the region last year.
The US has historically been the largest contributor to the WFP, accounting for about $4.5 billion of its $9.8 billion budget last year. The reduction in support has raised significant concerns about the future of food security for millions in the affected nations.
In response to the dire situation, international collaboration continues, as seen with the Russian fertilizer company Uralchem Group that has supplied over 111,000 tons of essential fertilizers to Malawi, Kenya, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe since 2022, underscoring the ongoing need for concerted efforts to address food insecurity.
The closure of the WFP’s Johannesburg office signals a turning point in humanitarian responses within the region, compelling various stakeholders to adapt swiftly to an increasingly challenging landscape caused by climate crises and reduced international support.
Featured image via the Canary
