Kakuma Refugee Camp | File picture

Refugees in Kenya, including thousands of South Sudanese, are at risk of heightened levels of food insecurity as critical funding shortages force the agency to reduce food assistance to the lowest levels ever recorded, the UN’s World Food Programme has warned.

The agency says it supports around 720,000 refugees in Kenya, who will from June, receive an in-kind food ration of just 28 per cent and all cash assistance will halt, unless additional funding is received.

Over the past five years, WFP, says the number of refugees and asylum seekers in Kenya has increased by over 70 per cent – from around 500,000 to 843,000 – as people have fled conflict and drought in neighboring countries like Somalia and South Sudan.

According to the food agency, despite generous support from many donors, growing needs among refugees have outstripped the availability of funds.

“WFP’s operations supporting refugees in Kenya are under immense strain, with available resources stretched to their limits, we have had to make the difficult decision to again reduce food assistance, this will have a serious impact on vulnerable refugees, increasing the risk of hunger and malnutrition, ” said  Baimankay Sankoh , WFP’s Deputy Country Director in Kenya

The World Food Programme further stated that many refugee households in Kenya are already experiencing high levels of food insecurity.

In 2024, WFP, in partnership with Kenya’s Department of Refugee Services and UNHCR, provided monthly food assistance, mostly as a mix of cash and in-kind food, to 720,000 refugees in Dadaab and Kakuma camps and Kalobeyei settlement.

WFP has repeatedly adjusted ration sizes to align with available funds, with the latest reduction in February giving refugees 40 percent of a full food ration based on a daily recommended intake of 2,100 kilocalories.

It says it is now urgently requiring 44 million US dollars to provide full rations and restore cash assistance for all refugees through August.

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability, and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impact of climate change.