Highlights
Nutrition surveys in Turkana show very high prevalence of moderate and severe acute malnutrition.
The Kenyan Government and UNHCR started a head count for all refugees in Dadaab.
Preliminary findings of the asset-creation evaluation are out.
WFP hosted a delegation from southern Africa to learn about linking farmers to schools.
The main goal of the Country Programme (CP) is to develop national capacity in addressing long-term hunger and nutrition issues in Kenya. It complements the resilience PRRO 200736 and prioritises: 1) capacity strengthening for improved emergency preparedness and response; and 2) supporting national social protection and safety net systems, including school feeding. This is achieved through:
(i) strengthening county governments’ capacity to prepare, analyse and respond to shocks and accelerating government leadership and coordination of safety nets; (ii) supporting the national school meals programme; (iii) enhancing market access for smallholder farmers; and (iv) supporting the National Nutrition Action Plan.
Through this operation, WFP addresses food and nutrition security in the arid and semi-arid lands as county governments enhance their capacity to prevent and respond to sudden and slow-onset disasters. It focuses on:
(i) harmonising relief and nutrition support with emerging government safety nets; (ii) strengthening productive assets to improve food security and enhance resilience to climate-related shocks; and (iii) enhancing partnerships to scale and ensure the sustainability of assets. Households receive in-kind or cash-based transfers.
Through this PRRO, WFP assists eligible refugees living in the Dadaab and Kakuma camps. Assistance is mainly through general distributions: a hybrid of in-kind food and restricted cash-based transfers. Refugees first pass through the biometric fingerprinting system to check their eligibility before collecting in-kind food and cash. This system yields efficiency gains and significantly enhances accountability.
Treatment of moderate acute malnutrition is provided to children and mothers. To prevent acute malnutrition, complementary specialised foods are given to all children 6-23 months and pregnant women or mothers with young children. School children receive porridge. WFP also provides support to the host community through asset-creation activities and food-for-training (the latter is also available for refugees).
Operational Updates
The Government of Kenya and UNHCR began a headcount for all refugees in Dadaab, as a first step to scale-up of repatriation to Somalia, ahead of the intended closure of the camps. By the end of July, 80 percent of the planned refugees had been verified. Close to 14,000 Somalis have returned home so far in 2016. Plans are underway to increase the number of road convoys to Somalia and to move 32,000 refugees (non-Somalis or Somalis awaiting resettlement) to Kakuma or Kalobeyei.
The WFP commissioned consultants shared preliminary findings of the asset-creation evaluation. Some positive findings include that the programme: (i) has often had a positive impact on food security and nutrition; (ii) is well aligned to national planning frameworks such as Ending Drought Emergencies; (iii) has contributed not only to building physical assets but also social capital; and (iv) has empowered women. Some areas requiring strengthening include: (i) more appropriate technology choices for specific local conditions; and (ii) increased extension services to promote good agricultural practice. WFP will prepare a management response to the recommendations in the coming weeks.
WFP continued with stakeholder consultations in the semiarid counties on the transition of asset-creation households away from WFP cash transfer support. Those identified for transitioning will be linked to the services of Government and other partners that will provide essential inputs and enable households to increase agricultural outputs and access markets. Preparatory activities for the expansion of asset creation activities into two arid counties (Samburu and Wajir) continued.
WFP completed the electronic registration of people assisted by the asset-creation activities in Baringo, Isiolo, Marsabit, Tana River and Turkana Counties. Registration in Garissa and Samburu will be completed in August. The activity, conducted jointly with the Government, UNICEF and WFP, includes collecting information on vulnerability dimensions affecting children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and the elderly.
WFP hosted a delegation from agriculture and education ministries from Namibia and Zambia to study Kenya’s home-grown school meal programme. The aim was to learn how to link farmers to schools. The visit is expected to support the implementation of the African Union decision on School Feeding and the Continental Education Strategy for Africa.