Food Security for Kenya IDPs
7,750 of the IDPs (internally displaced people) living in the Turkana disctrict in Kenya will receive a 2-month ration of cereals, pulses and oil in accordance with WHO (World Health Organization) standards. These IDPs are still living in camps due to the outbreak of violence earlier this year.
The project is supported by two of the Kenya Relief Consortium members: CRWRC (the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee) and Dorcas Aid International.
Dorcas supports the project with Euro 67,600.
The project will begin shortly in the Turkana district, a large semi-arid region at the extreme north-western end of Rift Valley Province in Kenya. The food distributions will take place in 2 IDP camps where project committees have been formed, consisting of the beneficiaries themselves to a large part.
Relief interventions in the Turkana District have been sparse, and as a result, not many NGOs are involved in relief currently on the ground in Turkana. Regional government officials have welcomed the Dorcas food relief project in which the implementing partners will be at liberty to distribute any relief through camp management committees. Earlier in 2008, the CRWRC and Dorcas collaborated on relief interventions in Kibera, Nairobi, in addition to previous co-operation on drought-relief projects in the country.
Background
Immediately following elections on the 27th of December, 2007, violence erupted in various regions across Kenya, including Western, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Central Provinces and Nairobi Area. Protests against the disputed re-election of PNU candidate Mwai Kibaki quickly turned into riots and ethnically driven violence in opposition ODM strongholds. These riots were answered by revenge attacks against opposition supporters in PNU stronghold areas, resulting in even more insecurity and displacement.Immediately after clashes, many people belonging to the Turkana ethnic group were displaced from urban centres (such as Eldoret and Kitale) and fled to their native lands in Turkana District, northern Rift Valley Province.
As Turkana is a semi-arid area already affected by chronic inter-tribal conflict, Turkana IDPs from other post-election conflict-affected areas of Kenya are currently experiencing significant difficulties in coping with their current situation. To compound the problem, attention by the media and other relief agencies has been focused on other ‘high publicity' areas, neglecting those IDPs now living in Turkana. Therefore, aside from putting strain on already limited resources, IDPs in Turkana have very limited coping capacity, and are in need of relief in various sectors, including food, non-food, shelter, health, water and sanitation. According to IDPs themselves, food is a priority need, as there is little food or opportunity for income generation among IDP camps and centres.
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