Attachments
In Numbers
- 1 million people assisted
- 5.6 million in cash-based transfers distributed
- USD 155.47 million six months' net funding requirements (June-November 2025)
- 2,333 mt of food commodities distributed
Operational Updates
Differentiated Assistance for Refugees
• On 28 March, H.E. President William Ruto launched the Government of Kenya’s Shirika Plan—a transformative multiyear strategy to advance the socio-economic inclusion of refugees by reimagining camps as integrated, self-reliant settlements. The plan is anchored on the Refugee Act 2021. WFP’s Differentiated Assistance Approach aligns with the Shirika Plan to ensure refugee programming is sustainable and inclusive. The Government’s launch of the Shirika Plan, therefore, provides a strategic catalyst for WFP and partners to advance the Differentiated Assistance Framework.
• By bridging humanitarian aid with national development goals, the Shirika Plan accelerates Kenya’s leadership in fostering refugee self-reliance, enhancing social cohesion, and unlocking shared opportunities for refugees and host communities. The implementation of the Shirika Plan will leverage, among others, the Kalobeyei Integrated Socio-Economic Development Programme (KISEDP) and Garissa Integrated Socio-Economic Development Plan (GISEDP) —Kenyan government initiatives designed to integrate refugees into host communities.
Food assistance
• WFP provided food assistance to over 708, 956 refugees (49 percent women) in the Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps and Kalobeyei settlement comprising in-kind distributions and cash-based transfers (CBT), equivalent to 40 percent of the Minimum Food Basket (MFB) requirement. Over 228,000 Kenyan’s also received humanitarian assistance, including 133,300 women and children who received nutrition support.
• In 2025, WFP in Kenya faces a severe funding shortfall, with expected contributions plummeting by over 65 percent compared to 2024. This significant decline occurs amidst persistent high humanitarian needs, particularly for refugees and Kenyans in food-insecure and drought-affected regions. As a result, WFP will be forced to scale back critical life-saving assistance, including food and cash-based transfers. Tough prioritization decisions will be necessary to support the most vulnerable populations. Starting in June 2024, WFP plans to suspend the cash-based transfer component of monthly assistance, and food rations may be reduced to just 30 percent of the Minimum Food Basket (MFB). This drastic cut falls critically below the level needed to meet basic nutritional requirements.
Climate-Friendly School Feeding and Social Protection
• Kenya’s National School Meals Programme – one of the country’s longest-running social safety nets, initiated in the 1980s with WFP support – transitioned to full government ownership in 2018. Building on this legacy, WFP continues to partner with the Government to scale the programme from 2.6 million to 10 million children by 2030, while advancing a climate-smart school feeding model. This includes promoting local procurement through farmer aggregators and prioritizing climate-resilient crops such as drought-tolerant maize, sorghum, and nutrient-rich, orange-fleshed sweet potatoes. In March, WFP equipped 20 Farmer Cooperative Societies with 16,100 smallholder farmers (58 percent women) in Embu and Tharaka Nithi counties with post-harvest management tools and warehousing infrastructure. These efforts directly support the Government’s 2025 plan to procure school food from local aggregators instead of third-party traders or imports – a shift projected to stabilize supply chains, increase farmer incomes (particularly for women), and reduce post-harvest losses.
• The Government of Kenya has demonstrated a commitment to scaling social protection, aiming to expand coverage from 1.7 million to 2.5 million households by 2026. To support the Government, WFP has invested in strengthening social protection systems and programmes, advancing resiliencebuilding initiatives in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands, and leading a joint UN Child and Social Protection Programme (with UNICEF, FAO, and ILO) to accelerate inclusive coverage. In 2024, WFP helped the Government in designing the Kenya Economic and Social Inclusion Programme (KSEIP II)’s planned expansion of the Economic Inclusion Programme. This flagship initiative targets 60,000 Kenyans across 25 counties, lifting households out of vulnerability through access to green economy jobs (e.g., sustainable agriculture, renewable energy) and diversified livelihoods.