WFP says may cut Kenya funding

• In August, WFP appealed for at least US$230 million to provide emergency food assistance in the next six months to 3.8 million Kenyans affected by drought.

• Food aid is at its lowest in 20 years despite indications that those in need of urgent food aid is on the increase.

About two million Kenyans currently relying on emergency food assistance from the World Food Programme are at risk of starving after the UN relief agency warned that it may withdraw funding.

In a move that is likely to complicate government efforts to save over 10 million Kenyans faced with hunger, WFP says serious budgetary deficits, soaring world food prices and the economic meltdown have frustrated its efforts to feed millions of people around the world, including Kenya.

The aid agency, in a statement this week in London that coincides with the first anniversary of the global financial crisis, admitted that it faced challenges meeting its obligations.

“.......the financial crisis and the still record high food prices around the world is delivering a devastating blow. Throw in a storm, a drought and a conflict and you have a recipe for disaster,” said executive director Josette Sheeran.

He warned that at the current funding levels, “we will – in October – have to cut our services throughout the world, including to half of those we are trying to reach in Kenya.”

The revelation comes in the wake of another assessment by the UN agency in August, which forecast that while it was committed to feeding the hungry but was being held back by budgetary deficits.

“Life has never been easy for the poor in Kenya, but right now conditions are more desperate than they have been for a decade,” said WFP Kenya country director Burkard Oberle.

“WFP is aiming to help almost 1 in every 10 Kenyans to cope with this serious crisis but we can’t do it without money.”

In August, WFP appealed for at least US$230 million to provide emergency food assistance in the next six months to 3.8 million Kenyans affected by drought and subsequent high food prices.

But the Wednesday statement indicates that food aid is at its lowest in 20 years despite indications that those in need of urgent food aid is on the increase.

The number of hungry people will pass 1 billion this year for the first time, the WFP said, adding that it is facing a serious budget deficit. To date the WFP has confirmed $2.6 billion in funding for its 2009 budget of $6.7 billion.

“There are more hungry people in the world and less food aid than ever before.  For the world’s most vulnerable, the perfect storm is hitting with a vengeance,” said the statement.

In August, Mr Oberle said at least 260,000 metric tonnes of food are required to feed the affected population. WFP, which has been providing about 32,000 MT of food per month, is already distributing general food rations to close to four million people.

Mr Sheeran says they urgently need an additional US$3 billion to meet the rising needs, something that is critical for the world’s peace and stability.

Although donors have been generous, Mr Sheeran said, the fact is that the cost of food is still high and needs have gone up, requires the world to step up to the plate in a bigger way.