International Donations Fall Short by 124.6 Billion Shillings, Says UN

By Amina Faki

“Across Kenya, greater numbers of poor households are expected to be able to meet their minimum dietary needs. As food and milk consumption decreases, malnutrition is on the rise” said the UN

Hunger is spreading and intensifying in parts of Kenya as international donations fall short by 124.6 billion shillings for the Eastern Africa region, the UN said.

According to an article in the Business Daily, 2.7 million Kenyans are in need of food aid a state in the country brought by severe drought and the ever-rising inflation rate.

In Kenya, the people most vulnerable to food insecurity live in urban informal settlements and in the arid and semi-arid regions that make up 80 percent of the country’s land area.

A quarter of the population lives in these regions, which suffer from poverty, structural underdevelopment, conflict, and disease.

Drought and unpredictable rain patterns exacerbate the situation and 47 percent of the country’s overall population lives below the poverty line.

The UN said it will assess the full impact of the long-term rains in June and may issue an updated appeal for funding.

The UN humanitarian affairs unit reported on Tuesday that a flash appeal in March for 166 million dollars in aid has so far resulted in 45 million dollars in funding a 27 percent of the required sum.

The UN warned that the trends of families increasingly relying on humanitarian interventions to stabilize malnutrition levels are likely to persist and increase in the next months ahead.

In a report done by the UN shows that food shortages worsening in some parts of Marsabit and Turkana are not receiving sustained humanitarian assistance.

High food prices to continue hitting the country as low rainfall and the infestation of Fall Armyworm in the Western Kenya impact negatively on food and agricultural produce production.