Nairobi — The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed a contribution of US$22 million from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) to strengthen climate resilience and food security for smallholder farmers, livestock holders and marginalised groups, including women and youth in Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan. Climate prediction centres forecast La Niña conditions in the eastern Horn of Africa, potentially reducing October-December rainfall in parts of Kenya and Somalia. This could lead to crop failures, poor harvests, deteriorating livestock conditions, and increased food insecurity for families still recovering from severe flooding and the region's longest recorded drought.
"Recurring climate extremes like droughts and floods devastate millions of livelihoods in East Africa, leaving families vulnerable as food prices soar, crop yields fall, and livestock numbers dwindle," said Laurent Bukera, WFP's Regional Director for Eastern Africa.
"With KOICA's generous funding, we can help to break the cycle of vulnerability by combining anticipatory action, early recovery, and climate-smart solutions that build resilience to crises and enhance food security."
The joint KOICA-WFP regional programme entitled 'Building Climate Resilience for Food Security in the Fragile Setting of the Horn of Africa' will support almost 570,000 people through anticipatory action initiatives such as early warning systems, resilience-building programmes like climate risk insurance and financial inclusion, sustainable crop and livestock practices, water management and land restoration.
"Over the past 15 years, KOICA has partnered with vulnerable communities across Eastern Africa, witnessing first-hand the growing frequency, intensity, and devastating impacts of climate change--manifested through droughts and floods--on the people, ecosystems, and economies in Kenya, South Sudan, and Somalia. The design of the project aims to enhance the resilience of these communities, equipping them to withstand climate challenges by participating in risk-reduction activities while fostering sustainable pathways to improved livelihoods," said Ms. Songi Han, KOICA's Acting Country Director in Kenya.
This three-year multi-country contribution will enable WFP to support 331,000 vulnerable people in Kenya, 150,000 people in Somalia, and 88,000 people in South Sudan until 2027.
