China donates $5 million in support of refugees

From left: Liu Xianfa, the Chinese Ambassador to Kenya, Annalisa Conte, the WFP Country Director and Guo Ce, the Economic and Commercial Counselor, Chinese Embassy in Kenya, during the Chinese food donation handover on June 7, 2017 at the Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya. [Photo by Edith Mutethya/China Daily]

The Chinese government donated $5 million to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), aimed at supporting 420,000 refugees living in camps in northern Kenya.

Speaking during the donation handover ceremony at Kakuma refugee camp on Wednesday, Annalisa Conte, the WFP Country Director and Representative for Kenya said the donation enabled the organization to resume supplying full food rations to the refugees, after more than a year of ration cuts caused by a shortage in funding.

"We welcome this critical contribution from China," she said.

"WFP has struggled to provide adequate food to refugees living in camps in northern Kenya due to insufficient funds."

Liu Xianfa, Chinese ambassador to Kenya, thanked WFP for its commitment to helping refugees.

"Through what we have seen at the food distribution point, we respect the efforts made by WFP," he said.

He added the Chinese government would, within its capacity, continue to render support to assistance programs in Kenya.

In 2015, the Chinese government donated 560 tens to refugees in the Kenyan-based Daadab refugee camp and has plans in store of donation food to the camp during the next few months.

Sarah Machar, a refugee at Kakuma Camp, expressed her gratitude, and the gratitude of other refugees, to the Chinese government for their donation.

"We are grateful to the Chinese government for their help and we wish that they will continue supporting us," she said.