The United States government has donated at least 16 billion shillings in support of Kenya’s drought relief efforts.
This was announced by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) who said the funds will help meet the urgent needs for approximately 1.3 million people across Kenya.
The additional food assistance to Kenya comes amid an ongoing drought that has left more than four million people in the grips of a dire hunger crisis, with the number expected to rise to over five million by June this year.
After a fifth failed rainy season in the Horn of Africa, cumulative rainfall in Kenya is now less than 70 percent of the 30-year average across most of the country – exacerbating humanitarian needs.
USAID will provide emergency food items such as sorghum, maize, yellow split peas, and vegetable oil for families living in areas where local markets are not functioning.
