World Vision Kenya - Situation Report 10

More than 20,000 children and mothers took part in nutrition programming that is combatting rising malnutrition rates in drought affected areas of the country. Other activities during the past three weeks - from 10-31 August 2017 - help ensure children are able to go to school, that families have enough food to eat and people have clean water to drink.  

Still, there is more work to do. In this hunger crisis, World Vision Kenya is reminding people that: 

• Families are struggling: 3.4 million Kenyans do not have enough food to eat and are in desperate need of assistance. Among this number, 700,000 children under age 5 are unable to get the necessary food and nutrition to thrive. 
  
  
• More children are becoming malnourished: The number of malnourished children under age 5, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers is of great concern. In July, 420,674 children were identified as malnourished, an increase of 75,000 since February. The situation is of greatest concerns are Turkana, Baringo, Samburu, West Pokot, Garissa, Wajir, and Mandera.
  
  
• The food security situation worsening: Low annual maize yields were recorded, due to drought conditions and the fall armyworm invasion, leading to an increase in food insecurity for families reliant on agriculture. The outlook for the next three months is worrying. Livelihoods are already under significant stress which will only deepen as the dry season unfolds. Conditions are likely to deteriorate.
  
  
• Drought interventions must be scaled up: Due to rising needs, humanitarian and government responses must increase to protect people from starvation. Currently, more than 200,000 people are benefiting from World Vision’s activities related to food assistance, nutrition, child protection, education and water and sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services. World Vision is appealing for an additional $19 million US to scale up the response to meet the needs.

For more information about how World Vision is responding to Kenya's hunger crisis, please download our Situation Report.