Search For Anything In Kenya (Government, Locations, People, etc.)

Its Going From Bad To Worse; Food Crisis Expected This Year According To Global Reports

SK 2 years ago 2 min read

This year’s food crisis is anticipated to be worse in seven of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development’s (IGAD) eight member states.

Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda were the most severely affected nations in the year 2021, according to a Global Report on Food Crisis released during the 8th Assembly of the IGAD Drought Disaster Resilience and Sustainability Initiative (IDDRSI) in Addis Abeba.

According to the research, things are set to get worse this year, with over 50 million people predicted to experience hardship because of the severe drought, armed conflicts, and macroeconomic issues, such as increased food costs.

Margaret Kobia, Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Gender, Senior Citizens Affairs, and Special Programs, gave a statement on behalf of Kenya through a spokesperson stating how much the country has spent on drought response.

“The Kenya Government has spent more than Ksh.11 billion on drought response since August 2021 to cushion lives and livelihoods of vulnerable communities. Of this, Ksh.8.3 billion went to relief food and cash transfers, while over Ksh.3.1 billion supported interventions in water, livestock, health and nutrition, education as well as peace and security sectors,” stated part of the statement.

IGAD Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu said they are working to improve capacity in pastoral communities in the region.

“IGAD has been consistently working to strengthen resilience capacity in pastoral communities in the region through cross-border development cooperation mechanisms that contribute to regional integration,” stated Gebeyehu.

Kenya is one of the most affected countries and the Executive Secretary says it’s not just food crisis but also a health crisis with over 19 million people affected.

“This is not just a food crisis but a health crisis as well; malnutrition among children, the elderly and women in excess of 19 million in three most affected countries – Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, accenting for 8.1 million, 4.1 million and 7.1 million respectively,” he added.