Kenya: 435,000 refugees may suffer food shortage due to lack of funds, says WEP

More than 435,000 refugees taking shelter in Kenya will not be able to have sufficient food due to critical food and fund shortage, says World Food Programme Kenya, as the organization took it to Twitter on Thursday.

🚨 NEWS ALERT 🚨WFP is facing a critical shortage of food and cash for refugees in Kenya. Without new resources, cash transfers will stop in January and food will run out in MarchRead more 👉https://t.co/I0vBqnrDW2 pic.twitter.com/gwNoUrxv9O

— WFP in Kenya (@WFP_Kenya) December 17, 2020

As per the statement, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), Kenya is going to face food shortages unless the organization receives new funds. As the organization reportedly needs US$57 million to provide continuous food and nutrition supply to Kenya's refugees between the months of January to July 2021.

Referring to three primary refugee sites of Kenya, Lauren Landis, the WEP Kenya Country Director said, "WFP is facing a critical shortage of funds to finance food assistance to refugees living in the Dadaab and Kakuma camps and in Kalobeyei settlement".

"We have exhausted all resources and are frankly faced with a life-threatening crisis", she added.

However, the funding shortfall has already pushed WFP to cut full food rations by more than one-third as of September 2019, compromising the health and nutrition of refugees in Kenya.

While adding about the possible fundings, Landis said, "we are appealing to our donors to quickly provide new resources to allow us to carry on providing food and cash to the refugees. A disruption of this magnitude to the life-saving refugee operation would be catastrophic".

The statement focused on the risk of the first hit 400,000 refugees in the northwestern Kalobeyei settlement since WFP deliver in the form of cash in this area. However, in the Dadaab and Kakuma camps, the organization provides a mix of cash and food to almost 400,000 refugees.