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Crisis Severity0 Very lowVery high 5
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Impact0 Very lowVery high 5
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Humanitarian Conditions0 Very lowVery high 5
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Complexity0 Very lowVery high 5
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Access ConstraintsNo constraintsExtreme constraints
Key figures
Overview
22/06/2020
As the country hosting one of the largest refugee populations in Africa, Kenya hosts over 495,000 refugees and asylum seekers, including more than 265,000 from Somalia and close to 122,000 from South Sudan, some 45,000 from DRC, and 29,000 from Ethiopia. The majority of refugees are staying in Dadaab camp in the southeast, Kakuma camp in the northwest, and in Nairobi. ?
The Somali refugee population in Kenya has been slowly decreasing through a voluntary repatriation program supported by UNHCR, the government of Kenya, and the government of Somalia. Some 84,000 Somali refugees have returned through the programme since 2014.?However, ongoing drought and persisting insecurity have deteriorated the humanitarian situation in Somalia, resulting in movements back to Kenya.
Latest Developments
09/06/2020
A new wave of cholera has been confirmed in Marsabit and Turkana counties. Local authorities and the Ministry of Health have reported 268 cases in Marsabit and 222 cases in Turkana as of 29 May,. At least 13 people have died, mostly children younger than 10 years old, and the Kakuma Refugee Camp has reported at least 25 cases. Both counties have experienced flooding since April, leading to an increase in usage of contaminated water. This has likely contributed to the resurgence cholera following an outbreak that was reportedly contained in February. Cholera is also being reported in several other flood-affected counties, including Garissa, Muranga, and Wajir?
To see the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya, see the relevant paragraph below.
Impact of COVID-19
05/05/2020
The Kenyan government has extended containment measures to Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps, which collectively host 400,000 people, banning all entry and exit to the camps and the surrounding host community. This is an extension of the lockdown that has so far been placed on localized areas, including the Nairobi metropolitan area, Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi, and Mandera, counties.
Vital humanitarian supplies, including medicine and food, will be allowed to enter and exit the area. All other humanitarian movement will be allowed on a case by case basis.
The addition of the refugee camps and host communities in the lockdown comes after NGOs and UN Agencies expressed concern about an outbreak in the camps and the lack of infrastructure to handle a high caseload. Dadaab, has only one COVID-19 facility which includes 110 beds.?
The ACAPS team is monitoring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information related to the outbreak, see the ACAPS COVID-19 Project.
