World Food Programme to cut food rations to refugees in Kenya by half due to lack of funds

NAIROBI, KENYA; Refugees living in the Dadaab and Kakuma camps will receive reduced rations from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) as a result of insufficient funding.

In a statement, WFP on Friday said the ration will be cut by 50 percent, starting Saturday 15. This comes as WFP struggles to raise Sh3.4 billion ($38Million ) to cover its refugee operation for the next six months. This includes Sh1.4 billion ($15.5 million) urgently required to address food needs through January 2015.

"WFP has done everything it can to avoid reducing rations, using all means at our disposal to cover critical funding gaps," said Paul Turnbull, WFP Deputy Country Director for Kenya. "Cutting rations is the last resort and we're doing it to eke out the limited food we currently have available over the next ten weeks, as we continue to appeal to the international community to assist."

Each month, WFP distributes 9,700 metric tons of food for some 500,000 refugees in Kenya, at a cost of almost US$10 million. The refugees are provided with a food ration of cereals, pulses, vegetable oil, a nutrient-rich maize-soya blend and salt, providing 2,100 kilocalories per person per day, the recommended emergency ration. From mid-November, the refugees will receive a food ration equivalent to 1,050 kilocalories per day.

Most of those who will be affected will be children and expectant mothers at the camps according to WFP.

"WFP depends entirely on voluntary contributions from donors who generously support food assistance for refugees," said Valerie Guarnieri, WFP's Regional Director for East and Central Africa. "With competing humanitarian needs around the world, we realise budgets are tight but nonetheless, we must call for more funding so that we can work with the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to meet the urgent needs of these vulnerable people, who have no other means of support."