Some 3.8 million Kenyans are suffering from a severe food shortage fueled largely by extreme drought across much of the country. World Vision’s effort to bring relief to desperate families was recently highlighted in the New York Times.

September 2009

According to a recent assessment by Kenyan authorities, the United Nations, and local non-governmental agencies, nearly 3.8 million Kenyans currently lack sufficient food, due in large part to an especially harsh drought that has exacerbated already difficult conditions. World Vision is seeking funding for desperately needed emergency interventions, including food aid and long-term sustainable solutions for millions of Kenyans.

World Vision is already helping more than 400,000 people with food security and other humanitarian assistance in six districts throughout Kenya, including providing therapeutic and supplementary feeding programs for 22,300 children and pregnant and lactating mothers. The supplementary feeding program is part of a joint program with the Kenyan Ministry of Health and the World Food Program.

‘The situation is only going to get worse’

“We are making a difference, but the needs far exceed available resources, and the situation is only going to get worse this month,” said Thomas Solomon, World Vision’s deputy national director in Kenya. “Many poor households have already resorted to skipping meals, and there has been a decline in attendance at schools in hard-hit areas.”

World Vision is also implementing recovery projects in 18 areas of Kenya to enhance access to safe drinking water and improve hygiene and sanitation. These projects aim to promote the use of conservation farming and water harvesting, which are key to helping vulnerable communities adapt to climate change. Our team is also advocating for a shift from reliance on rain-fed farming to the utilization of irrigation farming.

Food prices up, harvests down

Corn maize, the staple food for the majority of Kenyans, is currently priced at between 80 to 120 percent above normal. The projected harvest from the long rains remains 28 percent below normal, but scarce rains in the grain basket districts could drive this estimate down further. Acute water shortages not only endanger the lives and health of people but also livestock, which is one of the primary sources of income for Kenyans.

World Vision began operating in Kenya in 1974 during a time of severe drought and famine that affected most parts of the country. Currently, our team serves in all eight provinces of Kenya, focusing on both long-term development and emergency relief.