Kenya

A Country Trying to Keep Up With Growth

Kenya is experiencing rapid economic and population growth, but it’s struggling to ensure that everyone gets equitable access to resources, especially food security.
WFP/Boris Heger

Left Behind in Growth

Kenya, a lower-middle-income economy is transforming rapidly. However, social and economic inequalities persist. More than one third of Kenyans live below the poverty line. Rapid population growth, climate change, underperforming food systems and gender inequalities are the most significant challenges to food security in the country. Access to enough nutritious food remains a challenge for many, especially in the arid and semi-arid regions which make up 80% of the country’s land area. The arid climate means the country’s main economic driver of agriculture is highly dependent on seasonal rainfall.

Kenya hosts 500,000 refugees, mainly in camps located in remote, food-insecure counties. Unable to work or move freely, refugees are highly dependent on international assistance.

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WFP/Alauna Dunphy
Make a difference in Kenya

Hunger Stats

While Kenya has a growing lower-middle class, many others are still left behind, especially in rural areas. Climate shocks, agricultural challenges, and inefficient food systems prevent people from getting adequate, nutritious food.

WFP’s Work in Kenya

WFP has been present in Kenya since 1980. The U.N. agency is shifting from delivering services to developing national capacity in addressing longer-term hunger and nutrition issues. WFP focuses on:
women at WFP distribution site queuing to collect their entitlement

Dadaab refugee camp is located in Garissa County, roughly 100km from the Kenya-Somalia border. WFP currently provides food to refugees and asylum seekers. Registered individuals receive a combination of in-kind and cash transfers, while those profiled receive in-kind food assistance. 

Due to the severe drought caused by five consecutive failed rain in the region is driving a significant influx of new arrivals to the Dadaab camp. Working with partners, WFP routinely provides specialized nutritious foods for the prevention and treatment of malnutrition in the camp which is on the high rise due to negative coping strategies such as skipping meals to address household food insecurity.
Crisis Response
WFP provides refugees living in Kenyan camps with food and nutrition assistance through cash and food transfers. WFP also invests in programs like income diversification that boost refugees’ self-reliance.
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woman in blue full headscarf
Agricultural Support
WFP supports small-scale farmers in accessing markets, agricultural inputs, credit and and technologies – all of which creates further income earning opportunities.
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Northeast Kenya, Gurufa, December 2006

A Mi-8 helicopter chartered by the United Nations World Food Programme delivers relief aid to maroooned villagers on 2/12/06 at Gurufa village, 150 kilometres north of the eastern Kenyan town of Garissa. The emergency supplies were distributed among thousands of people forced to move to higher ground by floods. They asked for the food to be distributed quickly because they feared it would rain again soon and they would be forced to move again to even higher ground by fresh floods

Photo:WFP/Stephanie Savariaud
Logistics
WFP works to ensure that government, humanitarian and development partners can benefit from effective and cost-efficient logistics services to improve the delivery of relief to refugees.
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