On her first visit to Africa as U.K. development secretary, Justine Greening announced an aid package to help combat malnutrition in Kenya.
A total of 16.8 million pounds ($27 million) will help address acute malnutrition among 65,000 children in Kenya for the next three years. The money will also be used to prevent malnutrition in 400,000 women and children, and strengthen local health systems in the country, according to a press release.
It is not yet clear where the U.K. Department for International Development will channel the funds. But according to the department’s 2011-2015 operational plan for Kenya, DfID delivers programs through its partner U.N. agencies, nongovernmental organizations, civil society organizations, the private sector and managing agents. Only a limited amount is channeled to the government.
The support, announced in Turkana province in northern Kenya on Oct. 2, underscores the United Kingdom’s commitment to global hunger. The European nation drew attention to the problem at a hunger summit in London in August, which took place at the end of the 2012Summer Olympics. The international development community hoped the summit would build momentum in the global fight against hunger.
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About the author
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.
