Food Crisis in Kakuma: Urgent Solutions for Refugees and Turkana Communities

Food Insecurity in Kakuma and the Turkana Community

Kakuma residents and the wider Turkana community are no strangers to food crises. Still, the latest Regional Focus of the 2025 Global Report on Food Crises from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) shows the challenge is far from over. The report, launched on 16 September 2025, reveals that over 42 million people across six IGAD member states, including Kenya, will face high levels of acute food insecurity this year.

This number represents a near tripling since 2016, a reminder of how climate shocks, conflict, and economic stress continue to drive hunger. For Kakuma’s residents, both refugees and host communities, this translates into higher food prices, limited access to basic nutrition, and additional strain on already stretched resources.

The report highlights that 11.4 million children across the IGAD region are acutely malnourished, with 3.1 million needing life-saving treatment. In Turkana County, malnutrition remains among the highest in Kenya, affecting both local and displaced populations. While improved rains in 2024 brought temporary relief to livestock keepers and small farmers, flash floods damaged shelters in parts of Kakuma and washed away key infrastructure, leaving many more vulnerable.

With Kakuma hosting over 200,000 refugees from South Sudan, Somalia, Sudan, DRC, and other countries, the crisis is magnified by the sheer pressure on limited food supplies and humanitarian aid pipelines. Any disruption in supply, whether due to funding gaps, global price spikes, or transport challenges, quickly affects the camp population, as is currently experienced since the beginning of the year.

Causes of Hunger in Kakuma: Climate, Conflict, and Aid Dependency

The report highlights several important factors that deeply resonate with Kakuma’s community. However, let’s focus on the most urgent ones. The fragile coping capacity of the Kakuma community is a major concern. Families in Kakuma heavily depend on aid, which makes them vulnerable and limits their options when rations are cut, increasing their risk of hunger. Currently, in Kakuma and Kalobeyei, nearly half of the population is no longer receiving monthly food rations. 

Kakuma is a semi-arid region, so rainfall is sparse, making farming challenging. Despite this, farmers still manage to dig wells and do small-scale farming. However, limited rainfall and prolonged droughts continue to affect their ability to produce food. These conditions lead to increased hunger because families are unable to feed themselves adequately.

Building Resilience: Solutions to Hunger in Kakuma

During the launch, it was evident that governments, donors, partners, and the community need to come together and act now. For communities like Kakuma, this means working together to strengthen local food systems, supporting Turkana farmers and refugee livelihoods with climate-smart agriculture and better access to markets. It's also about investing in nutrition programs to make sure children and pregnant mothers receive the care and supplements they need, and expanding social protection helps families buy food even during price hikes or when aid delivery is delayed. 

The 2025 outlook serves as both a warning and an opportunity. Kakuma has seen innovative programs emerge from refugee-led organizations and local government partnerships, including kitchen gardens, income-generating activities, and nutrition awareness campaigns. Scaling up such efforts could help reduce dependency on food aid and build resilience.

As IGAD notes, “breaking the cycle of crisis requires prevention, preparedness, and collaboration.” 

For the people of Kakuma, this is a reminder that their voices, solutions, and resilience must be part of the regional and national response, ensuring that no one is left behind in the fight against hunger.