Humanitarian Crisis Unfolds in Kenya’s Poorest County
The Devastating Impact of US Aid Cuts
In Kenya’s largest and poorest county, the despair of a beleaguered hospital director is palpable as he explains that the dismantling of American-funded aid means his facility will run out of USAID drugs next month.
"From then on, I don’t know," Ekiru Kidalio said, worried about the lack of treatment for measles and HIV among other things.
A County in Crisis
Northernmost Turkana county borders Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Uganda and is home to just under a million people, according to a 2019 census, a third of them refugees, many dependent on foreign assistance.
President Donald Trump’s administration has announced dramatic cuts to USAID, whose annual budget was close to $43 billion, more than 40 percent of the world’s humanitarian aid.
The Humanitarian Crisis Unfolds
The decisions, taken thousands of kilometers away in Washington, are already being felt in Turkana’s Lodwar County Referral Hospital, Kidalio, its acting director, said.
USAID employed 64 staff, including nurses and clinical officers, out of around 400 employees at the hospital.
"All those workers were laid off," he said.
"Everything was stopped… and then the commodities (drugs) were not received," Kidalio added, voicing particular concern over shortages of measles vaccines.
Kidalio said he was "not aware" of any plans by the Kenyan government to tackle the shortfall.
Residents’ Worries
The local governor publicly urged the restoration of USAID-funded programmes when US charge d’affaires Marc Dillard visited last week.
The destabilizing shift has also created a lot of concern in the dusty town, dominated by UN-emblazoned white landcruisers and signs urging an end to gender-based violence or promoting aid groups.
"There is a lot of worry because the US has ended their support," resident Lydia Muya, 32, told AFP.
The mother-of-three said residents — in a region where roughly 77 percent of the population live below the poverty line, according to 2021 government statistics — were particularly concerned about their access to medication.
"We see that is now a very big risk to us, because we depend on those medicines, so most of the people will suffer," said Muya.
"It is difficult."
Kakuma Refugee Camp
The picture is increasingly grim in Kakuma refugee camp, which hosts more than 300,000 people mostly from South Sudan, Somalia, Burundi, and Rwanda.
Protests broke out last month after news that rations, already lowered last year, would be further reduced because of the cuts to US foreign aid spending.
"It was tense," said one humanitarian worker, based in Kakuma for almost five years, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not permitted to speak to the media.
When asked if supplies were arriving, his response was blunt: "No. With what money? No funding, no stuff.
"It’s operating on hand-to-mouth basis on this point."
He estimated as much as 40 percent of the workforce had already been laid off as a result of the US cuts.
Aid Workers’ Frustrations
Aid workers privately say that the situation is not just down to the US cuts and point to a lack of planning by NGOs.
"The camp has been managed as an emergency, so they were not preparing people" to become less dependent on aid, a second aid worker in Kakuma told AFP by telephone.
"If refugees were treated like people not in an emergency set-up anymore… these fund (shortfalls) could not affect them," he said, suggesting more should have been done on longer-term programmes.
The first aid worker also voiced his frustration, saying budgets were eaten up by operational costs such as staffing overheads, transport, and bureaucracy.
"The aid, the majority of it goes to the operational bit of it, not the actual work," he said. "It’s madness."
Like other aid workers, he worries their programme sometimes creates dependency without offering a future.
"As a person who has worked in multiple areas, sometimes you wonder if you are really helping or if you are enabling," he said.
Conclusion
The humanitarian crisis unfolding in Kenya’s poorest county is a stark reminder of the devastating impact of US aid cuts. As the situation continues to deteriorate, it is crucial that alternative solutions are found to support the vulnerable populations affected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the current situation in Turkana county?
A: The county is facing a humanitarian crisis due to the dismantling of American-funded aid, which has led to a shortage of essential medicines and the layoff of healthcare workers.
Q: What is the impact on residents?
A: Residents are worried about their access to medication and are concerned about the lack of treatment for measles and HIV among other things.
Q: What is the situation in Kakuma refugee camp?
A: The camp is facing a severe shortage of food and medicine, with protests breaking out last month after news that rations would be further reduced.
Q: Why are aid workers frustrated?
A: Aid workers are frustrated because they believe that the lack of planning by NGOs has contributed to the crisis, and that budgets are being eaten up by operational costs rather than being used to support the actual work.