This Operation has been modified as per Budget revision 9
Food security remains precarious in Kenya. The arid and semi-arid lands – which are vulnerable to market and climatic shocks and insecurity – face continued high prices for food, fuel and agricultural inputs, and have unacceptably high child malnutrition rates. The Government declared a food security crisis in January 2009 indicating that 10 million Kenyans would need urgent assistance in rural and urban areas. This protracted relief and recovery operation responds to the Government’s request that WFP assist in meeting the food needs of the drought-affected, primarily in rural areas, as a sub-set of the appeal, while the Government expands existing safety nets to address the remaining needs, including a growing number of urban dwellers, people affected by HIV/AIDS and people displaced during the post-election violence.
A short-rains assessment led by the Government and supported by United Nations and donor agencies completed work in February and recommended that 3.5 million people receive food assistance from WFP until the next short-rains season. These are primarily farming and pastoralist families in arid and semi-arid areas where rains were sporadic and below normal, who depend on the short rains for their livelihoods. Beyond the arid and semi-arid lands, the Government has also called for an expansion of safety net programmes (including school feeding and activities for people affected by HIV and AIDS that have been part of WFP’s country programme) to support others affected by the food security crisis. It is identifying appropriate ways to address increased needs, including through a government-led, targeted food subsidy scheme. Kenya is among the countries likely to see the impact of the financial crisis translate to increased food insecurity, given declining tourism, flower exports and remittances.
This protracted relief and recovery operation 10666.0 aims to support the Government’s social protection strategy and help households in both rural and urban settings, primarily in arid and semi-arid lands, cope with and recover from drought by rebuilding livelihoods and enhancing resilience to future shocks. The operation will respond to new shocks and mobilize additional relief to save lives and protect livelihoods.
WFP’s strategy comprises early response and an integrated approach requiring multi-sectoral investments. Its three main components are: i) recovery – building household and community assets to strengthen resilience against shocks; ii) social protection – supporting a national social protection system for the most vulnerable people by working with the Government and partners to ensure that emergency food gaps are covered; and iii) preparedness – responding promptly to new shocks.
WFP will continue to align its activities with government strategies and the United Nations Development Assistance Framework 2009–2013 with a view to: i) improving food security by reducing vulnerability to shocks; ii) increasing human and productive capital where food insecurity is severe; and iii) enhancing environmental management for economic growth with equitable access to services and response to climate change. The Kenya Food Security Meeting will coordinate at the national level; district steering groups will integrate recovery activities at the district level.
The hand-over strategy is based on partners’ increasing capacity to provide for the most vulnerable, improved household resilience through assets created and an enabling policy environment to address food insecurity in the arid and semi-arid lands.
The operation plans to involve women in each activity, in line with WFP’s Gender Policy. The operation contributes to Strategic Objectives 1, 2, 3, and 4 and to Millennium Development Goals 1, 4, 5 and 7.