Kakuma, Kenya — Life is forcing me to take this risk.

Deng* has lived in Kakuma refugee camp in northern Kenya for more than 20 years. His family fled conflict in South Sudan when he was only five years old. A trained mechanic, he works long days repairing vehicles but says the money he earns is barely enough to support his dependents. After losing his mother in 2023, he became the sole provider for his four siblings - the youngest three years old - while also providing for his wife and young child.

Aid cuts in the refugee camp have made his life even harder. The World Food Programme (WFP) has introduced a "differentiated assistance" system that divides refugees into four categories based on their perceived vulnerability.

Category 1 households, considered the most in need, receive only 40% of a full food ration, while Category 2 get 20%. Categories 3 and 4- assessed as having other means of support - receive no food aid at all, but may qualify for limited livelihood assistance if resources allow.

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These changes, which WFP says have been necessitated by funding shortfalls, have cut off a third of Kakuma's roughly 300,000 refugees from receiving any aid , even though years of ration cuts have already left most families struggling to meet basic needs.

Deng was placed in Category 3, an assessment he says overlooks the reality of his life: a low income job, rising responsibilities, and the daily challenge of paying for food, medical care, and school needs for his siblings.

Faced with growing pressure to provide for his dependents, and inspired by friends who have already made the journey, Deng plans to take the dangerous route to North Africa in the hope of reaching Europe and finding work. Despite the risks, he sees migration as his only chance for a better life.

*We are not using his real name.

Edited by Obi Anyadike.

Namukabo Werungah, Staff Editor and Reporter, Breaking News and Social