Nation Correspondent
8 July 2009
Nairobi — The World Food Programme and the German Development Bank have entered into a 6 million euro (Sh640 million) agreement to improve the nutritional status of pregnant and lactating mothers in Kenya.
Through the grant, WFP will distribute food rations to 65,000 women who from pregnancy to six weeks after birth are at risk of malnutrition in informal settlement areas of Nairobi, Kiambu, Kitui and Kisumu.
"The international community stands by the most vulnerable people who are too often forgotten. This contribution is an important cornerstone in the context of Kenyan-German development cooperation for which we yesterday signed agreements covering about Sh4.74 billion," said German ambassador Walter J. Lindner.
"WFP provides food assistance to 3.5 million people in Kenya because of drought and high food prices. Currently, we are providing monthly rations to 175,000 urban poor families who have a malnourished child in the family," said Mr Burkard Oberle, WFP Kenya country director.
The beneficiaries will be part of a wider reproductive health joint venture between the governments of Kenya and Germany.
This program began in 2006 and provides affordable quality health care to economically disadvantaged women and survivors of gender-based violence.
The food assistance component will run for three years from July 2009.
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