Press Release
17 January 2006
Hilary Benn announces further UK contribution of £3 million to the food crisis in Kenya
The UK Secretary of State for International Development, Hilary Benn, today announced that the UK would be providing a further £3 million in response to the Kenyan food crisis.
The funding will be provided to the World Food Programme to move Government of Kenya food stocks and distribute them to the most vulnerable people and to help provide water. This will bring the total UK contribution to the food crisis to £12.7 million since June 2004.
£1 million of the new funding will help towards the transportation of urgently needed food, £1 million will go to the hire of water tankers and £1 million will fund essential bore-hole drilling.
During his three-day visit to the region, Mr Benn visited Wajir in North-Eastern Kenya to see personally the impact of the drought on the affected communities and livestock. He also witnessed some of the emergency feeding programmes for badly malnourished children.
From Wajr he said:
“I met with President Kibaki this morning and have sought reassurances that the Government of Kenya will make its Strategic Grain Reserves available to the most needy in Kenya. As the Government plays its part the development partners will follow.
“What I have seen today in this hospital in Wajir convinces me that there are unacceptable levels of severe malnutrition in Kenya, and urgent action is needed by all parties – Government, donors, NGOs, and communities. I also call upon others in the international community to come forward with the substantial funds to support this effort and help save the lives of those at risk. The UK contribution, which I’m announcing today, will enable food and water to be distributed to the priority areas as soon as possible”.
The results of a national multi-agency assessment which is currently underway will help determine the level of current and future needs and the right response to those needs – not just in terms of food. Mr Benn went on to talk about the reasons why the situation in north eastern Kenya has deteriorated so far:
“We cannot let the current emergency mask the underlying causes of hunger in
Kenya.
“Food aid is critical in saving lives in an emergency - but on its own it will not prevent another crisis happening. Each drought increases the numbers of people facing hunger over the longer term. People are unable to escape poverty even in good years because they have often lost or sold the assets they need.
“We have seen this so vividly in Wajir – where there are many families living
in desperate circumstances on the edge of town, who have lost the animals on
which they depended for their livelihoods in earlier crises. Food aid can help
poor people survive day to day, but it is not the right kind of assistance to
help poor families to escape the poverty trap.
“If poor people are to escape from poverty and hunger, they need a concerted effort by Government to invest in these areas. They need investment in basic infrastructure – particularly roads – and they need investment in basic services, such as health, water, education. That’s why I was very happy to announce £55 million over 5 years for the Kenyan education sector yesterday. Without significant investment in development, we will see a continuation of dependency on food aid.
“We can also help break this cycle by looking at provision of safety nets - providing timely, adequate and guaranteed payments, whether of cash or food or other inputs (depending on local circumstance) on a regular basis to the neediest. When hard times hit households – as they will in areas like Wajir – safety nets can reduce the need for the poorest to sell off their animals or other assets. These regular transfers of even quite small amounts, can offer poor families an opportunity to escape the annual merry go round of emergencies.”
Notes for Editors:
Photos and pictures of Mr Benn’s visit to Wajir are available from Reuters. For more details of the visit contact DFID Press Office on +44 (0) 207 023 0600.
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