Kakuma Refugee Camp Faces Water Crisis as Women Bear Heaviest Burden
Kakuma, 1 February 2026
A severe three-month water shortage at Kenya’s Kakuma refugee camp is forcing women to travel dangerous distances for water whilst sparking fears of violent communal conflicts. With temperatures exceeding 35°C and water taps running dry for days, refugees now pay up to 50 Kenyan shillings for a single 20-litre container—well below the UN minimum standard of 20 litres per person daily. The crisis has created a two-tier pricing system where some communities pay significantly more than others, exacerbating existing tensions between different refugee groups and threatening the camp’s fragile social stability.
Water Rationing System Collapses Under Infrastructure Strain
The current crisis marks a dramatic deterioration from the camp’s previous water distribution schedule, which operated twice daily between 7:00 am and 9:00 am, then again from 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm [1]. Since July 2021, Kakuma has experienced serious water shortages with some taps remaining dry for days at a time [1]. The situation has worsened significantly, with refugees reporting a three-month water shortage as of November 2025 [1]. Community leader Zerihun Lemma, a 65-year-old father who leads a community in Kakuma 3, explained the previous system: “Before the crisis, water was rationed two times per day for almost all communities: in the morning between 7:00 am and 9:00 am and then during lunch hour between 12:00 noon and 2:00 pm” [1]. The breakdown of this rationing system has left residents scrambling for alternative sources, with many forced to purchase water from informal traders at prices ranging from 30 to 50 Kenyan shillings per 20-litre jerrycan [1].
Discriminatory Pricing Creates Community Tensions
A troubling two-tier pricing structure has emerged within the water trade, with different communities paying vastly different rates for the same resource. Ethiopian and Somali communities continue to access water from traders for 20 Kenyan shillings per 20-litre jerrycan, whilst host community members charge Kakuma 1 refugees 50 Kenyan shillings for the same quantity [1]. This represents a 150 price difference of 150% between communities. Halima Aden, a resident of Kakuma 1, Zone 1, Block 5, reported: “There has been a three-month water shortage, which is forcing us to buy from local vendors who sell at KSh 50 per 20-litre jerrycan” [1]. The discriminatory pricing has created additional financial strain on already vulnerable refugees whilst potentially fuelling inter-communal resentment. The economic impact extends beyond consumers to traders themselves, with Regina, a water trader and mother of seven, forced to cease operations approximately one month ago in January 2026, subsequently selling personal belongings to survive [1].
Violence Erupts at Water Distribution Points
The water scarcity has escalated beyond economic hardship to physical confrontations at distribution points throughout the camp. Community leader Andersen from Kakuma 3 described the deteriorating security situation: “The violence is now a daily routine at water palaces in most places of Kakuma 3” [1]. These fights occur as desperate residents compete for limited water supplies during rationing periods [1]. The violence represents a dangerous escalation in a camp environment already strained by overcrowding and resource limitations. The combination of extreme temperatures—regularly exceeding 35°C and reaching 38°C during the hottest months from January to March—with inadequate water access creates conditions ripe for social unrest [1]. The situation is particularly acute given that the camp operates during Kakuma’s dry season, with the short rainy season occurring from November to December and the longer rainy season not beginning until mid-March [1].
Humanitarian Standards Fall Short as Crisis Deepens
The current water access levels fall dramatically below international humanitarian standards established by UNHCR, which mandate a minimum of 20 litres of water per person per day [1]. With refugees purchasing water at 30 to 50 Kenyan shillings per 20-litre container, many families cannot afford to meet even basic daily requirements for drinking, cooking, and hygiene [1]. The crisis stems from multiple interconnected factors including dry seasonal conditions, extreme heat, ongoing maintenance issues, and fundamental infrastructural problems [1]. Weather forecasts from July 2021 by the National Drought Management Authority predicted “dispersed rainfall with temporal distribution of 1-2 days was experienced in some sections of Turkana West,” indicating the broader regional water stress affecting the area [1]. The situation reflects a broader pattern of underfunded humanitarian crises across Africa, where limited media attention correlates with inadequate international support [2]. According to CARE International’s analysis, African emergencies receive minimal global news coverage, with eight of the ten least-covered crises occurring on the continent [2].