Impact of Humanitarian Food Aid on Food Security in Turkana County

Abstract

Turkana County has been ranked as one of the most food-insecure Counties in Kenya, making it a hotspot of food insecurity. Turkana County has received substantial humanitarian food aid for over two decades, with funding increasing from US$89.3 million in 2018 to US$310 million in 2022 through multiple international and local organisations. The significant investments in humanitarian food aid call for the need to assess the chronic food insecurity. Despite this sustained intervention, the county remains Kenya's most food-insecure region, with persistent malnutrition rates and chronic dependency on external food assistance. This paradox raises critical questions about the effectiveness of these humanitarian food aid programmes and food security outcomes. The current study sought to assess the impact of Humanitarian food aid on food security in Turkana County. The study was anchored on a theoretical framework guided by the theory of access. The study utilised a descriptive research design. The study, which was conducted in Turkana County, targeted household heads, county government officials, and humanitarian agencies involved in food security within Turkana County. The study used both probability and non-probability sampling techniques. The key findings of the study indicated that 106 (30.2%) agreed and 57 (16.2%) strongly agreed that food aid had improved household food security. The findings further revealed that 105 (29.9%) agreed and 34 (9.7%) strongly agreed that food aid had increased access to nutritious food in the County, and 97 (27.6%) agreed and 46 (13.1%) strongly agreed that food aid reliance had reduced due to better food security. Overall, the findings revealed that humanitarian food aid reached the most vulnerable households in Turkana County; however, there were concerns about the issues of utilisation of the food given to vulnerable individuals. The study revealed that food aid has played a crucial role in alleviating hunger, improving household food security, and reducing malnutrition among vulnerable populations in Turkana County.