The Kenya Cash Consortium locally-led and adaptive alert-based cash assistance to disaster-affected communities in Tana River County: Baseline (September, 2024)

KEY MESSAGES

• At the time of the baseline data collection, the key findings indicated a poor economic well-being among households (HHs). The average HH income (KES 5,400) was below the minimum expenditure basket (MEB) of KES 17,430. The cash assistance may enable HHs to access basic food and essential services, without which, the HHs' well-being might be deteriorating and there may be hardship leading to more food insecurity.
• Less than half of the HHs (39%) were found to have an acceptable food consumption score (FCS) at the time of the baseline data collection. This implies that the HHs lacked access to dietary diversity. The proposed cash assistance may assist the HHs in mitigating their food consumption gaps.
• The reduced coping strategy index (rCSI) was found to be 16.518 at the time of baseline data collection. A high rCSI such as 16.518 implies that HHs are engaging in negative coping strategies. The cash assistance may be useful in ensuring that the HHs avoid engaging in asset-depleting strategies to access food and essential services.