Emergencies
Supporting children during conflicts, natural disasters and epidemics
Situation
Kenya experiences regular droughts and floods, which fuel food insecurity and exacerbate conflicts, putting children at risk of harm. Kenya hosts over 506,000 refugees and asylum seekers, 54 per cent of them children.
Child nutrition in Kenya faces a critical threat. Reduced supplies exacerbate food insecurity, affecting 2.15 million people, including over 800,000 children suffering from wasting. In arid regions and refugee camps, the shortage of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) — covering only 68 per cent of needs — endangers countless young lives.
UNICEF's response
In 2025, UNICEF delivered life-saving nutrition services in 23 arid, semi-arid, and urban counties, including Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps. In total, 111,629 children with severe acute malnutrition received treatment, resulting in an 80.2 per cent cure rate.
UNICEF provided mental health and psychosocial support to children and caregivers, including through the national child helpline. We are also addressing negative coping mechanisms to keep children safe from child marriage, violence, and other harmful practices. Lastly, UNICEF is advocating for the rapid roll-out of a universal child benefit and expansion of the national safety net to include all vulnerable children and families.
Emergencies in numbers
Over 1.2 million people affected by floods and health emergencies were reached with services.
UNICEF delivered life-saving nutrition services in 23 arid, semi-arid, and urban counties, including Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps.
Over 262,920 people gained handwashing access in 2025.
13.4 million people were reached with public health messaging, including through radio and SMS, to help families stay safe from the Mpox outbreak, cholera and measles.