preparedness and contingency planning mechanisms are needed to improve the identification of

cost effective targeted interventions when likely emergencies are identified.

Although the quantities of food aid moving into Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda are generally smaller

than the quantities moving into neighboring countries such as Ethiopia or Mozambique, each

country has a significant population of chronically vulnerable people.  Food insecurity in East Africa

is largely caused by climatic factors, although conflict, poverty and poor physical access are

contributing factors.

The World Food Program, the

largest provider of food aid in

Total Food Aid Deliveries    All Sources

all three countries, has

distributed emergency food aid

500

in Kenya in five of the past 10

years, in Tanzania in seven of

400

the past 10 years and in

Uganda in nine of the past 10

300

Uganda

years.   Kenya normally has

000 MT

200

been the largest recipient in

Tanzania

terms of quantities of food.

Kenya

100

WFP is not the only supplier of

food aid   donors and NGOs

0

often distribute food aid outside

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

of the WFP or government

umbrella and the governments

of all three countries have

purchased food or used national reserves for emergency programs.  The total amounts of food aid

(for emergency and other programs) has ranged from a low of 100,000 MT in 1996 to a high of

nearly 500,000 MT in 1993 (see figure 1).

Although the need to improve food aid targeting exists in virtually every country which distributes

food aid, this study will focus on the three East African countries because of the following

similarities: 1) emergency food aid in all three countries is a recurrent, but still irregular, need; 2)

similar structures are in place to target food aid in all three countries; 3) chronically vulnerable

areas are relatively well demarcated in each country 4) similarly low levels of investment in a  relief

infrastructure  exist;  5) similar data problems and analytical systems exist in all three countries; 6)

most food aid is targeted administratively and provided free of charge.  It is hoped that because of

these similarities, lessons learned in one country could be relevant to another country.  The three

countries already have very strong food security linkages, especially through informal food trade,

and climatic disturbances often affect all three countries at the same time.  Furthermore, as donors

begin to program and stockpile food aid on a regional basis, comparative analyses of food needs

and comparable systems for targeting will become necessary.  Lastly, the revitalization of East

African Cooperation suggests greater opportunities for regional partnerships and sharing of

information.  It is hoped that the results of this study will be useful outside of East Africa and/or that

the results would inform similar studies in other countries.

Objectives of the Study

The overall objective of this study is to produce a set of concrete recommendations on improving

the targeting of emergency food aid in Kenya, Tanzania and in order to improve its impact on

vulnerable populations, to increase its cost effectiveness and to reduce its negative effects on

development.

Related to this general objective are a number of other explicit objectives:

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