Hunger Crisis in East Africa

KAKUMA – More than 420,000 refugees in Kenya need more food assistance after the World Food Programme announced ration cuts at the beginning of October. 

 

World Vision, who distributes food among more than 80,000 refugees in Kakuma refugee camp in partnership with the World Food Programme, is concerned about the thousands of children affected by 50 per cent ration cut. 

 

“To cope, refugee families will eat less or even skip meals. For children, this will mean they are not getting the necessary vitamins or minerals to grow healthily, which could result in a rise in child malnutrition,” said Victor Mwanyalo, a World Vision Food Assistance Project Manager based in Kakuma.

 

According to a press release from the World Food Programme, US $28.5 million is required to adequately cover the food assistance needs for the refugees for the next six months.

 

Each month, World Vision distributes a food basket that includes cereals, pulses/grain legumes, vegetable oil and nutrient-enriched flour to over 80,000 refugees in Kakuma, thanks to its partnership with the World Food Programme. 

 

“The global responsibility to refugees and children’s health is long lasting,” said Francois Batalingaya, World Vision Kenya’s National Director. “We need to ensure that every child gets the support they need to reach their full potential. It is imperative for the international community to urgently protect children, by addressing this shortfall experienced by the WFP.”

In 2017, with support from donors like you, World Vision's response to the East Africa Hunger Crisis has reached more than 3 Million people. Thank you for helping us reach so many people!

Working across South Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya, we have provided: 

• 1.4 million people with food assistance
• 762,000 with food security and income generation opportunities
• 647,000 people with clean water, hygiene and sanitation services
• 414,000 children and women with nutrition services
• 192,000 people with health assistance

•  24 million people face an acute hunger crisis in Somalia, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya.
• As many as 6 million children struggling with acute malnutrition, preventing them from growing to their full potential. At least 800,000 children under the age of 5 have been identified as severely malnourished and could be at risk of death if action is not taken.
• More than 4.7 million people are on the move, fleeing conflict or drought in their homes. Drought, conflict and political instability is forcing many people to seek refuge and assistance in already crowded and hastily assembled camps of displaced people.
• Hundreds of thousands facing disease outbreaks, with an unprecedented Acute Watery Diarrhea / cholera outbreak continuing to claim lives.