Kakuma refugee camp in northwestern Kenya witnessed intense protests on Monday as refugees demonstrated against worsening living conditions due to food and water shortages. Security forces reportedly fired live bullets to disperse the crowds, according to local media reports.
Residents say the situation in the camp has deteriorated significantly following reductions in humanitarian aid, attributed to funding cuts by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Kakuma, one of the world’s largest refugee camps, shelters approximately 200,000 refugees and asylum seekers, primarily from South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Somalia, as per Amnesty International.
The aid reductions have not only exacerbated hunger but also contributed to growing insecurity within the camp. Some refugees expressed frustration over the situation, blaming U.S. policies for the hardships they face.
Concerns are mounting that, without alternative funding sources, conditions in the camp could further deteriorate, heightening tensions and instability.