Kenya Inter-Cluster Team Situation Report No. 24, 19 May 2008: Kenya Post-Election Emergency Response; Cluster – Food Assistance

Source: Inter-Cluster Group for Kenya

Date: 19 May 2008

Kenya Post-Election Emergency Response: Food Assistance Sector

Situation Overview

Kenya Red Cross(KRC), Government of Kenya(GoK), Office of the President/Special Programmes, and WFP are coordinating the single-food-pipeline and food assistance activities in Kenya, building on the existing food assistance coordination mechanisms in Kenya.

According to Government statistics, the ‘Rudi Nyumbani’ (Return Home) operation recently launched has so far seen an estimated 125,000 persons resettled by the Government; actual numbers are lower. Population in camps is reducing, but a significant group mainly of traders, landless persons and other vulnerable groups without land to return to are likely to remain in the camps; Population in 134 IDP camps stands at 113,065.

WFP/KRC has agreed to provide the returnees with a one month ration during this transition. However, lack or coordination and consultations during the exercise have in the past week resulted in reported incidences of persons leaving the camps without food allocations as camps were hurriedly closed posing difficulties in assessing and establishing locations where these persons moved to supply them with the necessary food requirements.

The general security situation in the country was calm. Few incidents of road banditry, hijacking of public transport means, robbery and violence against passengers were reported over the week, but in no way related to the post election crisis. There was reported tension in Mandera and along the Kenya/Somali border as the Kenyan security forces beefed up their presence after the killing of the Islamic Court Union militant commander in Somalia last week. In Mt. Elgon, military operations to neutralize the sabaot land defence force are ongoing; yesterday 18 May, 2008, the leader of the force was killed by police.

GoK, KRC, WFP, and partners have jointly delivered 13,354 mt of assorted food. WFP stocks are in place at four operational hubs (Eldoret, Kisumu, Nakuru, Nairobi), in addition to GoK and KRC stocks, to respond to identified needs for the current distribution. WFP will face pipeline breaks for cereal shortfalls in June, and pipeline breaks for all commodities from July onwards.

Humanitarian Response