After an extended period of drought in Kenya, improved short rains towards the end of 2009 and early 2010 brought some improvement in the food situation in the country. However, after a succession of poor or failed rains since 2007, the recovery process is slow, and there is still a need to help drought affected populations while they build up their food reserves and savings.
The March 2010 Short Rains Assessment estimates that 1.6 million people are still in need of food assistance. These are mainly pastoralists and agro-pastoralists and people in marginal agricultural areas.
High food prices are also preventing many households from regaining their livelihoods. In many places the market price for maize is 70-80% above the long-term average. In urban areas, around 3.5 million Kenyans are struggling to buy sufficient food on the market.
School meals remain an important safety net for many communities and WFP is feeding over one million primary school children across Kenya.
Malnutrition levels remain high especially among vulnerable groups in the pastoral, agropastoral and marginal agricultural districts. In some areas, global acute malnutrition rates greater than 20 percent are reported.
Kenya is a low-income food-deficit country with a GDP per capita of around US$1,240 (2007 World Bank). The 2007 UNDP Human Development Report ranked Kenya among the “medium human development” countries of the world, placing it 148th out of 177 countries. WFP operations in Kenya support the Government's efforts in implementing all eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
WFP is working to connect farmers in Kenya to markets through the Purchase for Progress initiative. Learn more
As the food assistance arm of the United Nations, WFP uses its food resources to meet emergency needs and support economic and social development. WFP's mission is to save lives in emergency situations, improve the nutrition and quality of life of the most vulnerable people, particularly children and expectant and nursing mothers, and help build assets and promote the self reliance of poor communities.
WFP is providing school meals to nearly 1.2 million children in Kenya. These are the most vulnerable children living in arid and semi-arid lands, and urban slums, who will receive at least one nutritious meal a day through WFP.
As it gradually scales down drought relief in favour of recovery activities, WFP has expanded its food-for-assets (FFA) projects, which promote food security. FFA activities focus on rain-water harvesting for human and livestock use, soil and water conservation, rehabilitation of degraded agricultural land and the production of drought-tolerant crops. These assets and the development of appropriate skills enable communities to improve their resilience and encourage them to invest in their future.
WFP Kenya has been assisting refugees in Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camps since 1991 when the first camp was set up. Currently 330,000 refugees in Kakuma and Dadaab are receiving regular food assistance from WFP.
Among Kenya’s pastoralist communities, it is estimated that close to 306,000 children under five are moderately malnourished and 43,000 severely malnourished. WFP supports supplementary feeding programmes for children under five and pregnant and nursing mothers to improve their nutrition status.
In recognition of the vital role that nutrition plays in the management of HIV and Aids, WFP provides food and nutrition support for vulnerable populations affected by these conditions. Currently 75,000 people are supported under the project in Nairobi, Coast, Western, Nyanza and the Great Rift regions.
In urban areas, around 3.5 million Kenyans are struggling to pay for food on the market. WFP is launching a new initiative that will send cash transfers to 2,500 families in poor urban areas.
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