Humanitarian Action for Children 2021: Kenya

Desert locusts, recurrent waterborne disease outbreaks, flooding and slow recovery from the 2019 drought are some of the challenges facing Kenya. Furthermore, the vulnerable populations, particularly women and children, have limited access to basic social services. Kenya hosts more than 498,000 refugees and asylum seekers, 54 percent of whom are children. These challenges are exacerbated with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that has had a negative impact on child and maternal health and nutrition indicators as well as disrupted critical health services. The COVID-19 pandemic is also increasing children’s need for protection by restrictions such as school closures and loss of family income. This also leads to increased risks of gender-based violence for children and women, as well as high malnutrition levels. This appeal describes the ongoing difficulties in Kenya, and the strategies used by UNICEF to respond to these.