By Issa Hussein - Reporter
Kenya, 22 June 2026 - A delegation from the European Union's Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) has concluded a visit to Kenya's refugee camps to assess the impact of humanitarian and protection programmes supported through the Refugee Protection Consortium.
The delegation was hosted by the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) in Dadaab Refugee Camps, where members held engagements with refugees, community leaders, refugee-led organizations, schools, humanitarian agencies, and other stakeholders involved in refugee protection initiatives.
According to DRC Kenya, the visit provided an opportunity for the delegation to witness firsthand the impact of ECHO-funded interventions aimed at strengthening community-based protection mechanisms and improving the welfare of displaced populations.
Among the key areas highlighted during the mission were child protection services, disability inclusion programmes, support for women and girls, and efforts to improve access to justice through police gender desks. The delegation also interacted with refugee youth involved in media and digital storytelling projects designed to amplify refugee voices and build skills among young people.
Discussions during the visit focused on the evolving challenges facing refugees and host communities, including reductions in humanitarian funding, rising social protection concerns, and vulnerabilities affecting young people in displacement settings.
Stakeholders emphasized the need for sustainable solutions that promote localization, strengthen community and institutional systems, and ensure meaningful participation of refugees in decisions affecting their lives.
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The delegation also explored ways of enhancing resilience among displaced populations while supporting host communities that continue to shoulder the burden of protracted refugee situations.
Following the Dadaab visit, the DG ECHO team proceeded to Kakuma Refugee Camp and Kalobeyei Settlement in Turkana County, where they continued engagements with refugees, humanitarian partners, and local authorities.
The mission reaffirmed ECHO's commitment to supporting programmes that uphold the rights, dignity, and resilience of refugees and host communities across Kenya amid growing humanitarian needs and funding pressures.
Kenya hosts more than 800,000 refugees and asylum seekers, the majority residing in the Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps and the Kalobeyei Integrated Settlement. Humanitarian agencies have increasingly raised concerns over funding shortfalls that threaten essential services for displaced populations.