The World Food Programme (WFP) has announced drastic cuts to food aid for refugees in Kenya due to significant reductions in global aid, including major funding cuts from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The WFP’s operations supporting refugees in Kenya are under immense strain, with available resources stretched to their limits, forcing the organization to make difficult decisions about reducing food assistance.
Baimankay Sankoh, WFP’s deputy country director in Kenya, highlighted the severity of the situation in May, stating, “With available resources stretched to their limits, we have had to make the difficult decision to again reduce food assistance. This will have a serious impact on vulnerable refugees, increasing the risk of hunger and malnutrition.” The aid cuts are particularly harsh, with a 60% reduction for the most vulnerable groups, including pregnant women and disabled people, and an 80% cut for refugees with some kind of income.
The Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camps, which host nearly 800,000 people fleeing conflict and drought in Somalia and South Sudan, are feeling the impact of the food aid cuts. Al Jazeera’s Catherine Soi reported from Kakuma, “People were very angry about what WFP is calling the priority food distribution, where some people will not get food at all and others are going to get a small fraction of the food.” The tensions boiled over, triggering protests last week, which left one person dead and several others injured.
WFP worker Thomas Chica explained that the new system was rolled out after assessments were conducted by WFP and its partners. Refugees are now assessed based on their needs, rather than their status. “We need to look at them separately and differently and see how best we can channel the system so that it provides,” Chica said. However, the impact of these cuts is severe, amid concerns over malnutrition. The Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) rate among refugee children and pregnant or breastfeeding women in Kenya is above 13%, with a GAM rate over 10% classified as a nutrition emergency.
The funding cuts have resulted in a significant reduction in food rations, with refugees receiving only 40% of the recommended ration. This ration is being shared among a larger population, meaning stocks will not last as long as hoped. Felix Okech, WFP’s head of refugee operations in Kenya, warned, “If we have a protracted situation where this is what we can manage, then basically we have a slowly starving population.” The situation is dire, with refugees facing starvation and malnutrition.
Refugees in Kenya’s Kakuma camp are struggling to survive on meager rations. Agnes Awila, a Ugandan refugee, said, “The food is not enough. My children eat only once a day.” Another refugee, Mukuniwa Bililo Mami, receives cooking oil, lentils, and rice, but it’s not enough. Traders like Badaba Ibrahim say business has collapsed, with refugees begging outside their shops.
The WFP has stated that $44 million is required to provide full rations and restore cash assistance for all refugees just through August. With its current resources dating from last year, WFP will only be able to provide assistance until December or January. The funding cuts have severe implications for the refugees, with many facing a dire future without immediate intervention.