KAKUMA – South Sudanese refugees at the Kakuma camp in Kenya staged a peaceful demonstration on Monday, to protest the enforcement of WFP’s Differentiated Assistance program and a resettlement program dubbed the Shirika plan. Instead they appeal for repatriation to their home country.
The framework seeks to integrate both humanitarian and development interventions, aiming to support the transition of refugees and host communities toward greater self-reliance.
The assistance program categorizes the refugees into four groups – with 40% of them going to Category 1 – which comprises vulnerable households with no ability to meet basic needs.
About 20% of the food basket will go to Category 2, which makes up households with limited ability to meet basic needs.
The first two categories will receive food aid. Meanwhile, food baskets will not be provided to categories 3 and 4, because it is believed they are the least vulnerable and can meet basic needs with additional support.
However, refugees took to the streets holding signs on July 20, demanding an end to the differentiated assistance program and planned settlement in Kenya.
They said many refugees in groups 3 and 4 will not have access to food and other services, which will have an impact on their quality of life.
According to them, adverse climatic conditions in northern Kenya and insufficient funding to operate small businesses in the Kakuma Refugee Camp, will leave the refugees without any other means of survival.
“This categorization will affect the children which will cause malnourishment among refugees and greatly increase their sense of insecurity,” said one camp leader.
He said the UNHCR must take immediate action to address the impending hunger among the refugees and address the refugees demands, which include a plan to repatriate them to their home country.
As of June 30, 2025, there are 200,161 South Sudanese refugees in Kenya, according to data from the Kenyan government and UNHCR – The UN Refugee Agency.
The majority of these refugees are hosted in Kakuma refugee camp and its expansion site, Kalobeyei settlement.