World Vision Kenya has called for greater protection of humanitarian workers and civilians as it marked World Humanitarian Day, warning that attacks and restrictions on aid operations are putting vulnerable communities at greater risk.
The organisation joined the global #ActForHumanity campaign, urging governments, authorities, humanitarian agencies and other actors to uphold international humanitarian law, ensure safe humanitarian access and hold perpetrators of attacks accountable.
World Vision Kenya said attacks against aid workers can disrupt the delivery of food, healthcare and protection services to communities already affected by conflict, displacement and natural disasters.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), at least 1,010 humanitarian workers were killed between 2023 and 2025, including 326 in 2025 across 21 countries.
The organisation said the growing use and misuse of drones and other emerging technologies was creating additional risks for humanitarian workers and civilians, making stronger protection measures and accountability increasingly urgent.
Kenya continues to face humanitarian pressures linked to drought, flooding, disease outbreaks and displacement. OCHA’s May 2026 Kenya Humanitarian Snapshot highlighted the continuing effects of drought and climate-related shocks, while El Niño-related flooding in 2023 and 2024 caused widespread displacement.
World Vision Kenya said the recurring emergencies underscored the need for stronger preparedness, early warning systems and anticipatory action to enable communities and humanitarian agencies to respond before crises worsen.
Between 2021 and 2025, World Vision Kenya reached 2.63 million people with emergency assistance during drought, flooding and displacement crises.
During the 2021-2023 drought, the organisation said 438,679 households received cash transfers and food assistance. In 2025, it supported 3,600 participants in Turkana West through measures aimed at strengthening drought resilience, including improved water access, climate-smart agriculture and livelihoods, with more than 31,000 people reached indirectly.
During the 2024-2025 El Niño floods, World Vision Kenya assisted 127,500 people across 12 counties.
The organisation also reduced its emergency response time from 14 days to seven days between 2021 and 2025 through investments in pre-positioning and early warning systems.
World Vision Kenya said the proportion of crisis-affected households with adequate food rose from 12% to 78%, while access to emergency shelter among displaced families increased from 23% to 85%.
Access to safe water among emergency-affected communities increased from 31% to 72%, while the proportion of children receiving psychosocial support during emergencies rose from 8% to 54%, it said.
“Our work is about being there for communities when they need us most, helping them prepare for crises and recover when disaster strikes,” said Dr. Gershon Mwakazi, interim national director of World Vision Kenya.
“But our teams also need to be safe to do this work. Protecting humanitarian workers and holding those responsible for attacks accountable is essential if we are to reach people who need our help,” he added.
World Vision Kenya urged governments and other stakeholders to strengthen early warning and anticipatory action, prevent attacks and obstruction against humanitarian workers, and ensure safe and sustained humanitarian access.
It also called for investigations into attacks, accountability for perpetrators and greater support for survivors and families of humanitarian workers killed while carrying out their duties.
“Humanitarian workers are not targets. Civilians are not targets,” the organisation said, stressing that existing international laws must be backed by action when protections are violated.
The organisation said humanitarian workers should be recognised not merely as statistics but as colleagues, parents, friends and community members whose deaths have lasting consequences for their families and communities.
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