Although food production is down by 19 per cent. in Kenya in 2009, food is being imported or donated to make up the shortfall. Food prices are, however, very high.
From a humanitarian perspective, the most important issue is whether the very poorest in society are able to access food. Increasing numbers of poor people face the double burden of low production, because of the poor rains in 2009 and the disrupted farming from post-election violence in 2008, and high prices that exclude them from the market.
Food aid is being co-ordinated by the World Food Programme (WFP), whose appeal of May 2009 has nearly been met. The Department for International Development is encouraging WFP to improve its targeting so that those most in need are assisted first. We will continue to monitor the humanitarian situation closely.