Cuts to communication budgets, due at least in part to U.S. aid terminations, have stifled feedback loops with refugees, which has also at times, led to the intermittent closure of help desks or hotlines and limited rumor management around service changes.

Date: 8/25

Region: Africa

Country: Kenya

Topic: Refugees & Displacement, Peacebuilding & Stabilization

Policy Lens: Security & Resilience

Entry Type: Secondary Effect

Additional Context: The NGO Refugee Group, or NRG, conducted a mid-year survey published in August 2025 with 10 member organizations and 116 refugees to assess the combined impact of U.S. funding cuts and the rollout of differentiated assistance. The findings reveal a humanitarian system under strain, with declining standards across all core sectors and growing social tensions.

The NRG is a coordination body of international and national NGOs working in the refugee space in Kenya. Respondent organizations work across Dadaab, Kakuma and urban areas such as Nairobi and Mombasa.

Source: NRG