UN calls for more international support to Kenya amid refugee funding crisis
By Aloys Michael, January 12, 2026The United Nations (UN) has called on the international community to urgently increase financial and development support for Kenya as the country struggles to sustain one of the world’s largest refugee populations amid a deepening global funding crisis.
Speaking after visiting Kakuma refugee camp on Sunday, January 11, 2026, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Barham Salih lauded Kenya’s refugee policies and appealed to donors, development agencies, and international partners to step up assistance.
He warned that declining global contributions are placing enormous strain on countries like Kenya that continue to shoulder humanitarian responsibilities.
“I saw how refugees have access to healthcare, education, and play an active part in society, benefiting the whole community. This is how we move from aid dependency to self-reliance. Kenya is doing its part. It needs greater international support,” he wrote on X.
“This is something that we need to support and engage with. The international community, development agencies, the World Bank and others really need to engage in making sure that this notion of shared development is one way to include refugees in national life.”
The appeal comes at a difficult moment for the global humanitarian system. Major donors, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany, have sharply reduced funding, forcing UNHCR to cut nearly 30 per cent of its global staffing costs.
The agency has closed offices and laid off more than 3,500 permanent staff, along with hundreds of temporary workers.
These reductions have had serious human consequences. UNHCR says the health and well-being of 12.8 million displaced people worldwide have been affected, including 6.3 million children who depend on the agency for primary healthcare and related services.
In Kenya alone, more than 800,000 refugees have felt the impact of the funding shortfall.
Humanitarian aid
Kenya has long been recognised as a welcoming and relatively stable country in a volatile region.
For over four decades, it has hosted refugees fleeing war, political unrest and humanitarian crises in neighbouring states.
Working closely with UNHCR, the country has provided safety and protection to hundreds of thousands of displaced people.
As of January 2026, Kenya is hosting more than 800,000 refugees and asylum seekers. Kakuma refugee camp alone is home to over 300,000 people, while the Dadaab refugee complex hosts close to 406,000.
Meeting the needs of these populations, including education, healthcare, shelter and security, requires resources that far exceed Kenya’s national capacity.
The shirika plan
President William Ruto has repeatedly defended Kenya’s refugee policy, saying it is grounded in humanity and shared responsibility. He has stressed that Kenya has offered refugees comfort, a home away from home, and a stable environment, even while facing its own economic and social challenges.
“Kenya is renowned as a welcoming, secure nation that has played host to tens of thousands of refugees and immigrants over the decades. For the past 40 years, the Government of Kenya has worked closely with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in supporting refugees from neighbouring countries fleeing war, conflict and instability. Kenya has given them comfort, a home away from home, and a stable environment,” he wrote on X.
According to Ruto, refugees should not be viewed as a burden but as people with the potential to contribute to society if given adequate support.
This vision is reflected in the Shirika Plan, launched in 2025, which seeks to move refugees away from dependency-based camp systems and integrate them into host communities.
The plan, he said, promotes self-reliant settlements, access to livelihoods, and socio-economic inclusion for both refugees and local populations.
“Last year, Kenya launched the Shirika Plan that aims at integrating refugees in local communities. The plan promotes self-reliant settlements and socio-economic inclusion for both refugees and host communities, moving refugees from dependency to self-reliance,” Ruto stated.
However, both the UN and the Kenyan government have warned that the success of the Shirika Plan depends on sustained international backing.
Without adequate funding and long-term development support, the promise of refugee integration and shared prosperity risks being undermined.