Kenya’s president says 5 million people facing food shortages

Mar 21, 2006 (NAIROBI) — President Mwai Kibaki said Tuesday that 5 million Kenyans are facing food shortages as a result of failed rains, well above the 3.5 million people being targeted by international aid agencies.

Kenya has spent 5.21 billion shillings (US$72 million; A59.14 million) from its coffers and donors’ money to feed the starving. But it is estimated that an extra 6.3 billion shillings (US$87.1 million; A71.55 million) “is required up to the end of June to meet the increasing needs of the growing numbers of those affected by the famine,” Kibaki said.

He was addressing the opening parliamentary session, hours after the U.N. food aid agency said a shortage of funds has forced it to cut vegetable oil from the food ration for three million people receiving assistance in Kenya from March.

The U.N. needs US$225 million (A184.8 million) to feed 3.5 million Kenyans from February 2006 until February 2007, but has so far received US$74.6 million (A61.3 million) _ leaving a 66.9 percent shortfall.

“Only limited amounts of corn-soya blend, which is especially beneficial for malnourished children and nursing mothers, and pulses will be distributed in the worst-affected areas,” the U.N.’s World Food Program said in a statement.

“If these cuts continue into April and May, they will only worsen the already perilous nutritional situation in the hardest-hit areas,” said WFP Kenya Country Director Tesema Negash.

The drought that has hit northern and northeastern Kenya has also affected arid and semiarid areas of Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Tanzania and Burundi _ leaving more than 11.5 million people in need of food aid in the next six months.

“I would like to add that despite the severity of the famine, we have not had to resort to massive importation of grain as often happened in the past,” Kibaki told lawmakers. “All the food being distributed so far has been sourced locally. This is a major boost to farmers in the food growing areas of our country.”

The available food stocks, however, will not last beyond June this year. The government is making urgent arrangements to import additional grains to bridge the gap, he said.

The European Commission donated A5.05 million (US$5.98 million) to help provide food aid in Kenya. The U.N. food aid agency welcomed the donation Tuesday.

(ST/AP)