Kenyan farmers will benefit from a $22 million (Ksh2.8 billion in the current exchange rate) donation by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) to the United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP). This is according to a report by WFP on Tuesday, December 10.
Dubbed ‘Building Climate Resilience for Food Security in the Fragile Setting of the Horn of Africa’ the joint programme is set to support about 570,000 people across the three countries over a period of three years.
The two other countries are Somalia and South Sudan.
Kenyan farmers are anticipated to provide the largest number of these beneficiaries with 331,000 of them targeted.
Somalia follows with 150,000 beneficiaries and the newest republic in the world, South Sudan takes the third place with 88,000 set to benefit.
The donation is expected to be put to use in strengthening climate and food security for all farmers including smallholder farmers, livestock farmers as well as marginalised groups.
The three Eastern African countries were selected to benefit from the funding due to the devastating effects of floods as the region recovers from its longest recorded drought.
“Recurring climate extremes like droughts and floods devastate millions of livelihoods in East Africa, leaving families vulnerable as food prices soar, crop yields fall, and livestock numbers dwindle,” said Laurent Bukera, WFP’s Regional Director for Eastern Africa.
“With KOICA’s generous funding, we can help to break the cycle of vulnerability by combining anticipatory action, early recovery, and climate-smart solutions that build resilience to crises and enhance food security.”
Over a period of three years, the programme is set to improve the lives of the 570,000 farmers and vulnerable beneficiaries by implementing actionable initiatives.
They include; early warning systems, resilience-building programmes like climate risk insurance and financial inclusion, sustainable crop and livestock practices, water management and land restoration.
Songi Han who is KOICA's Acting Country Director in Kenya stated that the agency had supported vulnerable communities in Eastern Africa for 15 years and they had seen first-hand how devastating climate conditions like floods and drought affected vulnerable communities.
“KOICA has partnered with vulnerable communities across Eastern Africa, witnessing first-hand the growing frequency, intensity, and devastating impacts of climate change— manifested through droughts and floods— on the people, ecosystems, and economies in Kenya, South Sudan, and Somalia,” she stated.
“The design of the project aims to enhance the resilience of these communities, equipping them to withstand climate challenges by participating in risk-reduction activities while fostering sustainable pathways to improved livelihoods."
