• The Famine Early Warning Systems Network report says 5-5.99 million Kenyans are currently in dire need of humanitarian assistance.
• However, the figure is expected to decline to between 4-4.99 million in December this year.
Image: ABDIKADIR CHARI
The number of people going to bed on an empty stomach is expected to decline by December this year, a new report shows.
The Famine Early Warning Systems Network report says 5-5.99 million Kenyans are currently in dire need of humanitarian assistance.
However, the figure is expected to decline to between 4-4.99 million in December this year.
FEWS NET is a USAID-funded activity.
“In December, the forecast above-average October to December short rains will support further improvements in crop production, water regeneration, pasture, and livestock body condition, along with increased milk production from goats and sheep, an important source of food and income for pastoral households,” the report says.
It says in marginal agricultural areas, ongoing agricultural labour opportunities through the short rains will improve household access to income.
However, crisis (IPC Phase 3) outcomes are likely to persist in pastoral areas as households recover from the historic multi-year drought, with less severe outcomes in marginal agricultural areas.
The number of people in need of humanitarian food assistance will be highest in the countries of Yemen, Nigeria, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Sudan by December this year, the report says.
It says out of the projected 100-110 million people in need across FEWS NET-monitored countries, Yemen and Nigeria are each expected to contribute over 10 per cent of total food assistance needs.
Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, South Sudan, Afghanistan, and Somalia are each expected to contribute 5-9 per cent of total food assistance needs.
In comparison to December of last year, FEWS NET projects the number of people in need of food assistance will be higher in Sudan, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi and Haiti.
In contrast, FEWS NET projects the number of people in need of food assistance will be lower in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Madagascar, Venezuela, and Angola.
This comes a few days after another report showed that countries under the IGAD continued to grapple with a severe food crisis in 2022, with more than 55 million people facing acute hunger and requiring urgent food, nutrition and livelihood assistance.
This is an increase of more than 13 million from 2021.
The IGAD Regional Focus of the Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC) 2023 is a by-product of the annual GRFC produced by the Food Security Information Network (FSIN) in support of the Global Network Against Food Crises (GNAFC).
The fifth edition of the report was officially released on June 14 by IGAD in Nairobi.
IGAD has eight member states – Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda.
Its goal is to enhance regional cooperation in three priority areas- food security and environmental protection; socio-economic development, regional integration and cooperation; and peace and security.