Millions of Kenyans face starvation, says Oxfam

A family shares a meal at a registration centre within the Dadaab. Oxfam is calling for effective pro-poor policies to end starvation. FILE 

By JAMES KARIUKI

In Summary

• Oxfam study on availability of food and nutritional value as well as its affordability ranks Kenya at position 102 out of the 125 countries surveyed

A quarter of Kenyans face starvation while another 40 per cent have no access to clean water, a new report by relief agency Oxfam says.

The study on availability of food and nutritional value as well as its affordability ranks Kenya at position 102 out of the 125 countries surveyed.

The Good Enough To Eat:The Food Index report places Kenya high in health for being relatively free of lifestyle diseases, with only six per cent of the population (2.4 million) suffering from diabetes and four per cent (1.6 million) being obese.

With a population of 40 million as at 2009, it means 16 million Kenyans have no access to clean water and 10 million people could die of hunger.

The report calls for effective pro-poor policies such as subsidies on food production and a broad distribution network across the country, including in the far-flung north.

“Around the world, one in eight people goes to bed hungry every night, even though there is enough food for everyone,” the report states.

People without access to safe water are vulnerable to waterborne diseases and were found to be underweight.

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The report shows Netherlands, Switzerland and France to be the best countries to live in, with the bulk of the population accessing clean water and affordable and healthy diets.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation says 16.4 per cent of Kenyans are underweight because food is either unavailable or too expensive, especially in semi-arid and arid areas.

Britain came at number 13 and the US at number 21, dragged down by unhealthy diets and sedentary lifestyles that exposed their citizens to chronic illnesses.




Nine African countries including Nigeria were hardly able to provide their people with enough food.

Chad was the worst country to live in, with its people hardly having enough nutritionally sound food to eat.

Oxfam said governments should empower communities to grow their own food via irrigation schemes, mechanisation and high quality inputs.