Report: Majority of Kenyan households are food insecure

According to the World Food Programme (WFP) food situational report released in July this year, 62 per cent of Kenyans are food insecure.

The report recommends that the country needs to take urgent measures to mitigate against the effects of food insecurity.

It adds that the situation is likely to affect refugee camps located in different parts of the country.

"Without additional external assistance, households would continue to engage in negative and possibly irreversible coping strategies to meet their dietary requirements," reads the report in part.

Among the factors listed as affecting the food security include unreliable rainfall, partly brought about by environmental degradation and other natural factors.

The report points out that most households will barely meet their minimum food requirements. In the pastoral areas, rangelands did not fully regenerate during the last rainy season and are expected to deteriorate faster than usual in the dry season of June to September next year.

Information released yesterday to mark the World Food Day made reference to the current long rains assessment, which also paints a gloomy picture of the food situation in the country.

Currently, WFP says it is pursuing projects in 920 villages targeting up to 702,000 people that focus on rainwater harvesting and soil conservation.