The UN World Food Program (WFP) on Thursday warned that refugees in Kenya face hunger risks due to a critical funding shortfall, forcing the agency to reduce food aid to its lowest levels.

The WFP said it urgently requires 44 million dollars to provide full rations and restore cash assistance for 720,000 refugees through August.

Without additional funds, in-kind food rations will be cut to just 28 per cent of daily needs in June and all cash assistance will be suspended.

WFP’s Deputy Country Director in Kenya Bai Mankay Sankoh said in a statement in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, that the agency’s operations supporting refugees in Kenya are under immense strain.

Sankoh said, “Less support will force refugees to make heartbreaking choices, parting with essential belongings, withdrawing children from school, or even a return to home countries despite the dangers. Food assistance is a vital safety net, and we remain committed to doing all we can to support refugees who are trying to rebuild their lives in safety.”

The number of refugees and asylum seekers in Kenya has surged by more than 70 per cent over the past five years, rising from around 500,000 to 843,000, as conflict, climate shocks continue to drive displacement from neighbouring countries such as Somalia and South Sudan, the WFP said.

The UN agency said it had previously adjusted rations in line with funding constraints, with the latest reduction in February providing only 40 per cent of the recommended 2,100 kcal per person per day.

(Xinhua/NAN)