The crisis follows deep funding cuts from the United States (US), which had been the main contributor to the World Food Programme (WFP) in the country.

At Kakuma refugee camp in the north-west, the impact is painfully clear. The facility, which hosts around 300 000 people who have escaped violence and instability in countries across Africa and the Middle East, is struggling to cope as food supplies dwindle.

The WFP has had no choice but to slash food rations to just 30% of the minimum daily requirement, the lowest level ever recorded in the camp. Health workers are reporting a sharp rise in malnutrition, especially among children and vulnerable groups.

“The situation is dire. Many families are surviving on a single small meal a day,” said the UN official, who called for urgent international support to prevent a worsening humanitarian crisis.

--ChannelAfrica--