World Vision Kenya Marks World Humanitarian Day by Honouring Frontline Heroes and Empowering Communities

Nairobi, Kenya, August 19, 2025 – World Vision Kenya (WVK) today joined the global community in marking World Humanitarian Day 2025, paying tribute to aid workers and recognizing the resilience of communities enduring crises. Themed Strengthening Global Solidarity and Empowering Local Communities,” this year’s commemoration emphasized the importance of local leadership in humanitarian response.

Globally, the scale of humanitarian need remains staggering. Over 120 million people are forcibly displaced by conflict, disasters, and violence, with 36 million seeking refuge in host nations. According to the World Food Programme, more than 828 million people are hungry, with 250 million at risk due to climate change and conflict.

Kenya faces similar challenges, hosting 843,165 refugees and asylum seekers, mostly from South Sudan, Somalia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Prolonged droughts have left over 4.5 million Kenyans food insecure, while 1.5 million children are at risk of malnutrition. Limited healthcare and education access further strain vulnerable households.

Despite these challenges, World Vision Kenya continues to deliver both emergency relief and long-term solutions. In 2024 alone, WVK reached over 4.2 million people, including 2.24 million children, across 37 counties with interventions spanning health, education, nutrition, water, sanitation, livelihoods, and disaster relief.

Key highlights from WVK’s 2024 humanitarian response include:

• Supporting 2.24 million children and 1.96 million adults through integrated health, nutrition, and education programs.
• Enrolling 119,853 children in its child sponsorship program, ensuring access to education, healthcare, and protection.
• Assisting 44,000 refugees and host communities in Kakuma and Kalobeyei with livelihood training, climate-smart farming, and psychosocial services.
• Providing emergency food aid to 160,000 refugees in partnership with WFP.
• Delivering urgent assistance to 250,000 people affected by disasters, including food, shelter, and healthcare.
• Constructing or rehabilitating over 3,000 boreholes and water points, expanding access to clean water and sanitation for more than 1,500 households.

WVK National Director Gilbert Kamanga emphasized the importance of investing in community-led responses: “Global solidarity is essential in times of crisis, but local communities must be at the forefront of the response. Their knowledge, resilience, and leadership are critical in shaping sustainable solutions. On this World Humanitarian Day, we honour the frontline workers who risk their lives every day to bring hope and relief to those who need it most.”

World Vision Kenya is urging governments, humanitarian partners, and the international community to scale up investments in resilience-building, strengthen partnerships, and prioritize local solutions that empower communities to withstand future shocks.