Kenya
http://ochaonline.un.org/kenyaSome aspects of the violence and displacement that characterized 2008 will continue through 2009 because root causes have not yet been adequately addressed. While fighting on the scale witnessed after the elections in 2007 is not expected in 2009, unresolved issues related to land, economic marginalization, competition for scarce resources and tribal disputes, continue to fuel clashes in several hotspots throughout the country.
The protection of civilians in the various contexts of violence and displacement, including the refugee situation, requires continued advocacy by the humanitarian community. Joint advocacy efforts, promoted by OCHA, will utilize national and local print and audio-visual media, as well as continued engagement with the Government and civil society at all levels.
Poor rainfall over successive seasons, rising food and commodity prices, and reduced cereal production have added to the humanitarian challenges in Kenya. According to projections, significant portions of the country are expected to become increasingly food insecure during the first quarter of 2009. An increase in animal diseases, which decimate livestock herds, has decreased access to food for much of the pastoralist population who derive 40 per cent of their food from livestock. As of September 2008, a total of 1.38 million people are receiving food assistance.
Kenya also suffers from annual flooding. Outbreaks of water-borne diseases are expected to emerge in some affected areas while the incidence of malaria has already increased and there is concern that there could be another outbreak of Rift Valley Fever due to the attendant stagnant water.
Working with the Government and with partners, OCHA will lead inter-agency assessments and support the establishment of a single pipeline for the delivery of aid to the most severely affected areas. Contingency and emergency preparedness plans will be developed in close cooperation with the Government, with a special focus on supporting conflict and flood mitigation strategies, as critical components of managing disaster risks.
In 2009, OCHA will aim to work with partners to strengthen the capacity of national coordination structures in order to respond to multiple scenarios of humanitarian action in the country. In particular OCHA will work closely with the Ministry of State for Special Programmes and the new Ministry of Northern Development and Other Arid Lands to support the transition of the current cluster coordination arrangements to government-led sectoral working groups that will oversee on-going humanitarian response, disaster preparedness and early recovery, including livelihood support and peace and reconciliation. OCHA will provide support to the Government to coordinate the diverse range of humanitarian and development partners to develop a recovery framework for post-conflict transition, with special attention on durable solutions for internal displacement.
OCHA will spearhead inter-agency resource mobilization efforts through the Emergency Humanitarian Response Plan and the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). In 2009 OCHA will also implement a Humanitarian Response Fund (HRF) to address timely response, including bridging inter-sectoral funding gaps. Joint programmes under the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) will also strengthen comprehensive and sustainable humanitarian action.
OCHA will maintain coordination sub-offices in Eldoret and Nakuru to cover the Rift Valley, Western and Nyanza Provinces and will continue to work from Nairobi to cover needs at the national level, provide surge capacity to the sub-offices and respond to needs that emerge in other regions.
Key Objectives, Outputs and Indicators
