By Eddah Waithaka
On World Refugee Day, World Vision Kenya joins the global community in standing with refugees, honoring their struggles, and demanding stronger protections for their rights.
This year’s theme, “Solidarity with Refugees, Honouring Refugee Stories, Upholding Their Rights,” underscores the urgent need for action amid one of the most severe humanitarian crises in history.
A Global Crisis Deepens
Conflict, climate disasters, and economic collapse have forced over 120 million people from their homes worldwide. More than 36 million now live as refugees across borders, while humanitarian funding fails to keep pace.
The World Food Programme (WFP) reports severe cuts to food aid, leaving millions at risk of starvation.
Kenya’s Refugee Challenge
Kenya remains a top refugee-hosting nation in Africa, with 843,165 refugees and asylum seekers as of March 2025. The Kakuma and Kalobeyei settlements in Turkana County shelter over 300,000 people, mostly from South Sudan, Somalia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Yet, food rations cover only 40% of daily needs, pushing families toward hunger and malnutrition.
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World Vision Kenya’s Response
Through the DREAM-UP Project, funded by KOICA and implemented in partnership with World Vision Korea, World Vision Kenya is driving meaningful change by strengthening social cohesion through peace committees and conflict resolution, boosting resilience with climate-smart farming, livestock training, and market access, empowering refugees through cash transfers, skills development, and financial literacy programs, and advocating for sustainable integration in alignment with Kenya’s Shirika Plan and regional refugee protection frameworks.
World Vision Kenya’s interventions have delivered tangible results, with 44,000+ refugees gaining livelihood training, agricultural support and psychosocial care to reduce aid dependency, 161 farmers mastering climate-smart techniques to boost food production and income, 160,000 people receiving critical food aid in Kakuma and Kalobeyei through WFP partnerships, 11,305 individuals benefiting from peacebuilding and livelihood programs, and 1,500 households in Turkana and Garissa gaining access to clean water and sanitation – collectively strengthening refugee resilience and self-reliance.
World Vision Kenya calls on the Kenyan government, county leaders, and global partners to take immediate action by investing in long-term solutions like education, employment opportunities, and integration pathways for refugees; expanding critical food and cash assistance programs to safeguard basic human dignity; and prioritizing peacebuilding initiatives and climate adaptation strategies to reduce resource-based conflicts and build sustainable communities.
“Solidarity must translate into action, through policies that protect, investments that empower, and communities that welcome,” said Gilbert Kamanga, National Director of World Vision Kenya.
“Refugees deserve safety, opportunity, and a chance to rebuild their lives.” As the world honors refugees today, World Vision Kenya reaffirms its commitment to standing with those forced to flee and calls on all stakeholders to do the same.
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