Kenya: One country, multiple approaches

Kenya is a country where multiple humanitarian emergencies exist simultaneously. Some of these emergencies are protracted: longstanding conflicts in South Sudan and Somalia have led to a huge influx of refugees and asylum seekers, and Kenya’s refugee camps are some of the largest in the world.

Disaster preparedness is essential in Kenya, as the country is prone to acute emergencies such as flooding and drought – and these are becoming more pronounced as the climate crisis intensifies. All crises were compounded in 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic, which was a national-level emergency in Kenya as in the rest of the world.

Several partners have been working together to improve and ensure access to NCD care for affected populations, integrating NCD care into disaster preparedness and response operations. As this case study shows, work is taking place in areas that are particularly prone to natural disasters (the Kilifi and Tana River counties), in informal settlements in Nairobi, and in refugee camps and settlements (Dadaab and Kalobeyei).