- WFP’s Bamba Chakula program in Dadaab was fully suspended in June, leaving families without food.
- The crisis follows President Trump’s USAID aid freeze, which could result in millions of preventable deaths.
- Over 200,000 refugees are affected, with reports of stampede deaths and children quitting school to find food.
- Child marriages and exploitative arrangements are increasing as families struggle to survive.
- The Shirika Plan aims to turn camps into livable towns, but movement restrictions and implementation doubts remain.
- Youth and community leaders say real change is needed, not just promises.
A growing humanitarian disaster is unfolding in Kenya’s Dadaab refugee complex, where thousands are going without food after key aid support was cut. The situation became worse in June when the World Food Programme (WFP) stopped its Bamba Chakula food voucher system, leaving families in crisis.
This crisis links back to a January 2025 executive order from U.S. President Donald Trump, who halted foreign aid via USAID. The decision sparked international concern, with a Lancet journal report predicting that up to 14 million people could die from preventable causes over the next five years.
In Dadaab, which shelters over 200,000 refugees, the Bamba Chakula program had already been scaled down before it was fully stopped. Once offering families limited food options via e-vouchers, the program became almost worthless as values dropped steadily, from $6 in March to $4 in May, before being fully withdrawn in June.
Abdullahi Mire, founder of the Refugee Youth Education Hub (RYEH), says the situation has reached terrifying levels. “In the past three months, food rations have been slashed severely. People are dying in stampedes just for a chance to eat,” he said, recalling how 29-year-old Khadija Noor tragically lost her life during one such chaos in April.
According to Mire, the hunger crisis is also destroying education. “Teens are skipping school just to search for food. They are being forced to choose between learning and survival,” he explained.
Anab Gedi Mohammed, founder of Halgan, a women-led group within the camp, said that even when Bamba Chakula existed, the Ksh 500 vouchers weren’t enough. Now that the program is gone, desperation is pushing families into dark corners. “Some are marrying off their daughters, girls as young as 16, to older men just for money. The men disappear once the girls get pregnant,” she said.
In response to the worsening conditions, the Kenyan government and UNHCR are rolling out the Shirika Plan, which aims to transform camps into integrated towns, offering education, jobs, and health services to both refugees and local communities.
Mohammed Abdullahi Jimale, a 27-year-old refugee, sees hope in the plan. “This is the only home I’ve known. If we’re allowed to work and live freely, we can make something better for ourselves,” he said.
But Anab remains cautious. “They speak of inclusion but deny us movement. How can we build futures if we still live like prisoners?” she asked, recalling how her concerns were brushed off at a recent feedback meeting.
For Mire, it’s all about action, not talk. “The Shirika Plan sounds great. On paper, it could turn Dadaab into a thriving hub. But right now, our people are starving. Until things change, hope is hanging by a thread.”
