By Staff Reporter
Widespread demonstrations have rocked security in Kakuma refugee camp in north-western Kenya on Monday, with police firing live bullets at the protestors, according to local media.
The protests erupted over food and water shortages in the camp.
According to residents, conditions in the camp have deteriorated significantly, with many struggling to access basic necessities.
The shortages come as humanitarian aid in Kenya has been reduced following funding cuts from the US Agency for International Development, USAID.
The camp, which is one of the largest in the world, is home to around 200 000 refugees and asylum seekers, according to Amnesty International.
The camp mainly houses refugees from neighbouring South Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia.
Mama Kayembe, a Congolese refugee in Kakuma Refugee Camp said: “Since (Donald) Trump became (US) president, now Kenyans have shifted all the blame on him. Workers are not getting paid and it is blamed on Trump. No medication in hospital – it’s Trump, now we have to pay for school fees and it’s Trump, everything is Trump. We are tired of Trump.”
The aid cuts have not only led to hunger but have also contributed to rising insecurity within the camp.
Without alternative sources of funding, there are concerns that the situation in the camp could spiral further out of control.
