Kenya is on the frontlines of the climate crisis. Severe droughts are often followed by heavy rain and flooding – forcing thousands of people from their homes, destroying livelihoods and degrading land.

Agriculture remains the main economic driver but is very vulnerable to these climate shocks, with arid and semi-arid regions making up 80 percent of the country’s land. Rural communities that depend on crops – 95 percent of which are rain-fed – and livestock are particularly exposed.

Inefficiencies in food systems – the networks that are needed to produce and process food, and ensure it reaches consumers – lead to high prices and insufficient market supplies. This limits the availability of, and access to, food.

Rapid population growth – at a rate of 2.9 percent a year – is another factor affecting food security. Families headed by women are more likely to be food insecure than those headed by men.

Malnutrition remains unacceptably high, with 29 percent of children in rural areas and 20 percent of those living in cities stunted (impaired development due to malnutrition). Significant vitamin and mineral deficiencies are a severe public health problem, with 1.5 million people living with HIV among those most vulnerable.

Kenya hosts 760,000 refugees, mainly in camps in remote, food-insecure counties – a 60 percent rise in five years. The Government of Kenya is shifting from camps to an integrated settlement model whereby refugees can more easily access jobs and services. Instead of providing assistance to all refugees based on status, a ‘needs-based’ approach is being adopted.

The World Food Programme is investing in long-term initiatives that tackle the root causes of hunger, building communities’ resilience to climate shocks, and breaking the cycle of recurring crises, hunger and destitution. 
 

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WFP in Kenya

What the World Food Programme is doing in Kenya

Support to refugees
WFP is working with UNHCR and the government's Department of Refugee Services on a Differentiated Assistance framework that tailors support to the specific needs of refugees. Up to this point, WFP has been providing refugees with unconditional food and nutrition assistance through cash and food transfers, while increasing self-reliance through approaches including livelihoods diversification.
Resilience building
WFP supports resilient food system by providing conditional food or cash assistance in food insecure communities to fill their immediate food gaps as they create climate-resilient assets for increasing production and diversifying livelihoods. WFP also supports smallholder farmers in accessing markets, agricultural inputs, credit and technologies, and works with traders and retailers to address inefficiencies in food supply chains.
Capacity strengthening
WFP supports national and county government authorities in ensuring that their respective safety nets and nutrition action plans are inclusive, integrated and effective at reducing poverty and hunger and that the emergency preparedness, response and recovery mechanisms can meet the humanitarian needs of crisis-affected populations.
Service delivery
WFP works to ensure that government, humanitarian and development partners can benefit from effective and cost-efficient logistics services – including air transport, common coordination platforms and improved commodities supply chains – to improve the delivery of relief to refugees and the quality of health services provided by the Government.

Publications

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In focus

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Partners and donors

Achieving Zero Hunger is the work of many. Our work in Kenya is made possible by the support and collaboration of our partners and donors, including:
Austria Australia Brazil Canada China

For questions or feedback on WFP’s assistance:

Operations in Kenya

View all operations

Contacts

Office

United Nations Complex, Gigiri P.O. Box 44482 – 00100
Nairobi
Kenya

Phone
+254 20 7622310
Email
WFP.Kenya@wfp.org
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