A week after Kenya announced emergency measures to stem a food crisis that has gripped parts of the country, a report suggests "serious shortfalls" in maize stocks could be experienced by late September.
Maize is the staple in most of the country.
"At the beginning of August 2009 the country had about 500,000MT of maize against a monthly requirement of 300,000MT, suggesting possibilities of serious shortfalls by the end of September," the Kenya Food Security Meeting (KFSM) said on 20 August in its 2009 Long Rains Assessment (LRA) Report.
According to the KFSM, 9.9 million Kenyans are food insecure: of whom 3.8 million are drought-affected, 1.5 million vulnerable school-children, 2.5 million urban food-insecure, 2.5 million affected by or living with HIV/AIDS and some 100,000 internally displaced (IDPs).
The LRA report was prepared by the Kenya Food Security Steering Group (KFSSG), which comprises representatives from various government ministries, some UN agencies, the Famine and Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS Net), Oxfam GB and World Vision.
The KFSSG conducted the long rains food security assessment in late May and July 2009, covering 30 districts, most in the drought-prone arid and semi-arid (ASAL) areas of northern and northeastern Kenya. It was a follow-up to its short rains food security assessment in February.
"Continued export bans in neighbouring countries of Tanzania and Uganda are likely to reduce cross-border maize inflows by 46 percent. The reduced levels of production and imports are likely to compound the tightening maize supply situation," the report stated.
KFSM said most of the drought-affected populations are pastoralists, agro-pastoralists and marginal agricultural farm households.
"Additionally, 1.5 million primary school children in drought-affected areas have also been affected and require food assistance," KFSM said.
Emergency measures
On 12 August, the government announced new emergency steps to curb the growing food crisis, including using the army to help distribute food and ferry water to vulnerable populations.
Besides almost doubling the amount of food rations to be distributed and helping drought-affected pastoralist communities, the government also set up a crisis centre under the Prime Minister's office to coordinate nationwide relief operations.
The government also announced it was working with donor countries, the UN, the private sector and NGOs to meet the country's food requirements.
On 16 January, President Mwai Kibaki declared the food crisis in the country a national disaster and appealed for Ksh37 billion (US$400 million) to meet the needs of an estimated 10 million food-insecure people.
In April, relief agencies - under the Kenya Emergency Humanitarian Response Plan - appealed for US$189 million for drought-affected areas as well as IDPs and others affected by the post-election violence in January and February 2008.
The appeal was a revised version of one launched in January for $41.9 million.
Gabrielle Menezes, a WFP information officer, told IRIN on 20 August: "WFP is alarmed at the situation here in Kenya; we are already feeding 2.5 million Kenyans and an additional 1.3 million are also in desperate need of food assistance."
However, she added, "WFP's emergency operations are only 35 percent funded and we are hoping that donors will step forward so that we can feed the hungry."
Related stories:
Massive crop failure in "grain basket"
Peter Wangai, "This is the longest dry spell we've experienced"
js-aw/mw
Maize is the staple in most of the country.
"At the beginning of August 2009 the country had about 500,000MT of maize against a monthly requirement of 300,000MT, suggesting possibilities of serious shortfalls by the end of September," the Kenya Food Security Meeting (KFSM) said on 20 August in its 2009 Long Rains Assessment (LRA) Report.
According to the KFSM, 9.9 million Kenyans are food insecure: of whom 3.8 million are drought-affected, 1.5 million vulnerable school-children, 2.5 million urban food-insecure, 2.5 million affected by or living with HIV/AIDS and some 100,000 internally displaced (IDPs).
Photo: GoK  |
| The districts covered in the 2009 long rains assesment |
The KFSSG conducted the long rains food security assessment in late May and July 2009, covering 30 districts, most in the drought-prone arid and semi-arid (ASAL) areas of northern and northeastern Kenya. It was a follow-up to its short rains food security assessment in February.
"Continued export bans in neighbouring countries of Tanzania and Uganda are likely to reduce cross-border maize inflows by 46 percent. The reduced levels of production and imports are likely to compound the tightening maize supply situation," the report stated.
KFSM said most of the drought-affected populations are pastoralists, agro-pastoralists and marginal agricultural farm households.
"Additionally, 1.5 million primary school children in drought-affected areas have also been affected and require food assistance," KFSM said.
Emergency measures
On 12 August, the government announced new emergency steps to curb the growing food crisis, including using the army to help distribute food and ferry water to vulnerable populations.
|
Photo: Wikimedia Commons |
| Green maize: Maize is a staple in most parts of the country |
The government also announced it was working with donor countries, the UN, the private sector and NGOs to meet the country's food requirements.
On 16 January, President Mwai Kibaki declared the food crisis in the country a national disaster and appealed for Ksh37 billion (US$400 million) to meet the needs of an estimated 10 million food-insecure people.
In April, relief agencies - under the Kenya Emergency Humanitarian Response Plan - appealed for US$189 million for drought-affected areas as well as IDPs and others affected by the post-election violence in January and February 2008.
The appeal was a revised version of one launched in January for $41.9 million.
Gabrielle Menezes, a WFP information officer, told IRIN on 20 August: "WFP is alarmed at the situation here in Kenya; we are already feeding 2.5 million Kenyans and an additional 1.3 million are also in desperate need of food assistance."
However, she added, "WFP's emergency operations are only 35 percent funded and we are hoping that donors will step forward so that we can feed the hungry."
Related stories:
Massive crop failure in "grain basket"
Peter Wangai, "This is the longest dry spell we've experienced"
js-aw/mw
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
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