September 9th 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – There is outrage among South Sudan refugees in Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya after the World Food Program (WFP) decided to curtail the amount of food rations received by the refugees amid funding shortfall.
The refugees fear that what they said is a ‘worrying precedent’ will make the life in the camp difficult for them.
This is not the first time the WFP has reduced the amount of food rations received by refugees on a monthly basis. In 2017, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, received less funding from donor countries, forcing the World Food Program to cut back the amount of food given to each household by 30 percent.
Several South Sudanese families interviewed, including a single mother named Rebecca Nyakueka, head of a four-member family, told Nyamilepedia that the amount of food rations received by refugees during last month’s food distribution was less and would not last for up to 30 days.
“The size of food rations we received last month was very small and will never reach 15 days let alone 30 days,” she said.
Over the past few years, WFP has provided a partial replacement for food rations, known as Bamba Chakula program, whereby each family member receives 400 Kenyan shillings, accounting for 50% of the monthly rations.
Kakuma refugee camp is one of the largest refugee camps that hosts thousands of South Sudanese uprooted by the conflict which began back home in 2013.
The UNHCR and Kenya’s Refugee Affairs Secretariat-RAS are the main agencies responsible for the protection and refugees affairs.
