US President Joe Biden's Administration has offered to help mitigate the biting food shortage facing Kenya.
The US has established a special trust, Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust (BEHT), that collaborates with USAID to bolster existing food operations in the country.
According to US Embassy in Poland, Kenya has been listed alongside Ethiopia Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, and Yemen which are set to benefit from a special trust that has allocated Ksh33 billion ($282 million) to the affected countries.
"USAID will use the BEHT’s Ksh33 billion ($282 million) to procure U.S. food commodities to bolster existing emergency food operations in six countries facing severe food insecurity: Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, and Yemen," a statement from US Embassy in Poland read in part.
According to the Embassy, Russia's President Vladimir Putin’s actions have strangled food and agriculture production and has used food as a weapon of war, including through the destruction of agricultural storage, processing, and testing facilities; theft of grain and farm equipment; and the effective blockade of Black Sea ports.
"Putin’s aggression in Ukraine, combined with the impacts from the pandemic, increasing conflict, high prices for fuel and fertilizer, have combined to devastate already fragile global food security and nutrition. Millions of people living far from the conflict face an increased risk of poverty, hunger, and malnutrition as a result of Putin’s war," their statement added.
The announcement follows a meeting that President Biden attended alongside other G7 leaders where they resolved to disburse the money to save countries struggling with severe food shortages.
The intervention comes just months after the World Food Programme - WFP revealed that 3.1 million Kenyans are facing acute food shortage.
A food and nutrition security assessment conducted in January 2022 further corroborated the findings by World Food Programme noting that over 600,000 children are acutely malnourished and in need of urgent treatment.
"About 100,000 pregnant and lactating women are acutely malnourished," the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) said in a report.
To support the affected families, the government has been giving out a stipend, especially to people in Arid and Semi-arid areas including Turkana, Baringo, and West Pokot.
NDMA explained that the Kenya Food Security Steering Group (KFSSG) attributed the shortage to factors including December short rains, high staple food and low livestock prices, and insecurity.
"Nutrition situation has deteriorated in most counties and is expected to further deteriorate during the projection period attributed to worsening food insecurity situation," NDMA explained.
