Kenya, along with the majority of other African countries, is experiencing one of the worst food crises in decades. The food crisis is a result of numerous factors: Kenya’s extreme droughts, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, which combined account for more than 40% of Africa’s grain supply. The effects of food insecurity are devastating. “3.5 million Kenyans are experiencing extreme hunger. Roughly one person, in Kenya, Ethiopia, or Somalia, will die of starvation every 48 seconds”, the representative from Kenya said. Malnutrition poses as an even greater threat to already vulnerable populations and nearly one million children under five years of age and pregnant or breastfeeding women are experiencing malnutrition, said the World Food Programme.
Death isn’t the only side effect of food scarcity. According to the International Federation of Red Cross, also known as the IFRC, the hunger crisis in Kenya has caused, “higher rates of child marriage, increased school drop outs and escalating conflicts as people try to cope and access precious resources”. Food scarcity has massive ripple effects across the country and will continue to wreak havoc in Kenya as a result. The food crisis only appears to be getting worse as the number of Kenyans in need of urgent food assistance increased five-fold between August of 2020 and June of 2022 the World Food Programme reported.
Ultimately, the hunger crisis in Kenya, and other African countries, is a dire issue which can no longer go ignored. This situation must become a priority for the UNSC before millions of lives are lost to starvation.