ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Just over a week after assuming office as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Barham Salih made Kenya the destination of his first official visit.
During the visit, Salih praised Kenya’s approach to refugee inclusion, highlighting access to healthcare, education, and economic participation.
“I saw how refugees have access to healthcare, education, and play an active part in society, benefiting the whole community,” Salih wrote on X. “This is how we move from aid dependency to self-reliance.”
He emphasized, however, that Kenya cannot shoulder the burden alone. “Kenya is doing its part. It needs greater international support,” Salih said.
The former Iraqi president described Kenya’s progress on refugee inclusion as “commendable,” adding that it “offers valuable lessons for the world.”
Kenya hosts more than 850,000 refugees, primarily from Somalia and South Sudan, most of whom live in the sprawling Dadaab and Kakuma camps, according to UNHCR. Both camps have been severely affected by funding cuts, leading to reduced food aid, rising malnutrition, and increasingly difficult living conditions.
I saw how refugees have access to healthcare, education, and play an active part in society benefiting the whole community.
This is how we move from aid dependency to self-reliance.
Kenya is doing its part. It needs greater international support. pic.twitter.com/Bf1ChIpt5v