Introduction
Kenya is home to nearly 843,000 refugees and asylum seekers, many of whom rely entirely on humanitarian assistance to meet their most basic needs.
Food insecurity remains a pressing concern in the arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs). Recurrent climate shocks, crop pests, and high staple food prices continue to disrupt livelihoods and limit access to adequate nutrition. An estimated 2.8 million people are currently facing acute food insecurity. Among them, over 800,000 children and 120,000 pregnant and lactating women are suffering from acute malnutrition.
The European Union continues to provide long-standing support to refugees in Kenya and is actively responding to emergencies triggered by disasters and multi-hazards related events.
What are the needs?
The Shirika Plan launched in 2021, which is the rollout-out of the Kenyan Refugee Act adopted in November 2021 that plans a move from camps to integrated settlements, is under development. It is estimated to span more than 5 years.
Meanwhile, refugees, mainly from Somalia, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Ethiopia and Burundi, continue to arrive, including unaccompanied minors. They will most likely remain in Kenya, as, for most of them, there seems little prospect of safely returning home anytime soon.
The registration of Somali asylum seekers has been put on hold since 2016. However, in early March 2023, the Government of Kenya resumed registration of undocumented individuals, including the newly-arrived refugees. As a result, the population of Dadaab refugee camp increased with over 100,000, reaching nowadays 428,000 people.
Refugees cannot leave the camps due to the encampment policy, and their access to services and aid depends on international assistance.
Following years of crippling drought, 2023 and early 2024 saw a temporary improvement in food security across Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands, thanks to favourable rainfall and successful harvests. However, this progress is fragile and uneven.
Despite recent gains, many communities continue to face acute food insecurity and high levels of malnutrition. The situation in the ASALs, home to 80% of the country’s land area, is once again deteriorating due to below-average rainfall during the short rainy season (October to December).
Compounding these challenges, the long rains of early 2024, intensified by the El Niño phenomenon, caused widespread flash and riverine flooding, affecting hundreds of thousands of people across the country.
Health risks are also on the rise. A cholera outbreak that began in April 2025 continues to spread, while cases of malaria and Visceral Leishmaniasis are increasing, further straining already limited healthcare resources.
How are we helping?
For 2025, the EU has allocated €14.5 million in humanitarian funding for Kenya.
Over the years, the EU has maintained its humanitarian support for refugee operations in Kenya. EU humanitarian actions have helped:
- secure safe and dignified living conditions for refugees, including access to essential services like health and education,
- build the resilience of refugees and host communities in the arid and semi-arid parts of Kenya, where refugee camps are situated,
- support authorities in preparing for emergencies,
- respond to food security and nutritional emergencies for the most vulnerable people in arid and semi-arid lands.
In the Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camps, the EU continues to support the provision of basic life-saving aid such as (i) food assistance, (ii) healthcare; (ii) nutritional assistance; (iv) water, sanitation and hygiene; (v) protection; and (vi) education.
EU humanitarian aid helps health facilities provide comprehensive services, including in-patient wards for refugee and host communities. It also provides clean water, sanitation facilities, and hygiene promotion to prevent illnesses.
Care for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence and preventive work with communities in the camps are also provided.
The EU contributes to the education of refugees and young people. We provide learning opportunities for more than 135,000 pupils enrolled in schools in the Dadaab and Kakuma camps.
The situation is worse for girls and other vulnerable learners, such as children with disabilities. They are often left behind in an increasingly resource-scarce educational environment.
The EU supports education projects targeting children with disabilities and requires that at least 50% of the beneficiaries are girls.
This page was last updated on 14 April 2025