How aid, climate shocks are pushing Kenya toward a major hunger crisis
Kenya is edging closer to a major hunger crisis as prolonged drought, climate shocks and shrinking humanitarian aid have left millions struggling to find food, the Kenya Red Cross has warned.
The agency says nearly two million people are now facing acute food insecurity, with the hardest-hit communities grappling with severe water shortages, rising malnutrition and long journeys to reach the few remaining water points. Families in arid and semi-arid counties are increasingly relying on emergency assistance to survive.
An IGAD regional analysis in the 2025 Global Report on Food Crises shows that the number of people facing high levels of acute food insecurity across the Horn of Africa has tripled over the past decade, rising from about 14 million in 2016 to more than 41 million this year. Kenya is among the countries most affected.
Forecasts from IGAD’s Climate Prediction and Applications Centre indicate drier-than-normal conditions in parts of eastern Kenya, with some areas already experiencing below-average rainy seasons. Another failed season could deepen food shortages and accelerate malnutrition.
The crisis is being compounded by funding cuts to humanitarian programmes. Across the region, more than 11 million children under five are acutely malnourished, with over three million needing urgent, life-saving treatment. Aid agencies warn that reduced funding could leave up to one million people without access to critical nutrition services.
The Red Cross says the scale of need in Kenya continues to grow and has called for increased resources to sustain food, water and health interventions. Without urgent support and improved rainfall, humanitarian groups warn that the country could slide further into a full-scale hunger emergency.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
