UN says Kenya's food security improving as drought eases

NAIROBI, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations said on Tuesday that Kenya's food security situation is improving as the drought caused by four consecutive failed rain seasons eases.

Carla Mucavi, the FAO representative to Kenya, told Xinhua in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi that the food insecure population has reduced from 4.8 million to an estimated 1.5 million people, mostly in the arid and semi-arid counties.

"Rainfall in the arid areas has improved vegetation for livestock, and this has reduced the effects of drought," Mucavi said on the sidelines of an event during which the Mikoko Pamoja coastal community was awarded the UN in Kenya Person of the Year 2023 for forest protection efforts.

Mucavi said the onset of the October-December rains is expected to further improve the food security situation in the country as farmers will record enhanced harvests.

She revealed that the FAO has partnered with the Kenyan government and donors to boost the resilience of communities affected by drought. These interventions include providing animal feed, conducting livestock vaccinations, and offering cash transfers to pastoralists to increase food security.