Refugees in Garissa's Dadaab complex decry USAID funding cuts
During a media briefing at Ifo 2 camp, they revealed that the funding cuts have significantly slashed their food rations.
Refugees living in the Dadaab complex in Garissa have voiced alarm over recent funding reductions by USAID, citing mounting hardships as a result.
During a media briefing at Ifo 2 camp, they revealed that the funding cuts have significantly slashed their food rations, severely affecting their day-to-day lives and survival.
These reductions come in the wake of a suspension of US foreign aid, including USAID programmes, ordered by President Donald Trump on January 20, 2025—the day he was sworn into office.
The directive has resulted in the suspension of ongoing aid programs, with refugees bearing the brunt of the executive actions taken by President Trump's administration.
Holding placards, the refugees called on the international community to step in and help reinstate the humanitarian assistance they have relied on for years after fleeing civil war in their homeland.
Mohamed Abdille, a resident of Ifo 2 camp, said the budget cuts that began earlier this year have severely deteriorated their living conditions.
"I have been a refugee for 33 years now. This is the only place I call home because I arrived here as a young boy. But the recent changes have brought us many challenges, and things could get even worse in the days ahead," he said.
He noted that even before President Trump’s directive to halt funding, life in the camps was already challenging—but the cuts have now made it unbearable.