Outcry as relief food expires in Kenya Red Cross warehouse

[Sarah El Ebiary]

Population control.


On Thu, Jan 12, 2012 at 2:26 PM, warigia bowman <warigia at aucegypt.edu>wrote:

> Alex
>
> This is crazy. Why do you think this happened?
>
> On Thu, Jan 12, 2012 at 5:10 AM, Alex Gakuru <gakuru at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> [Kenyans are furious with Red Cross after they contributed precious money
>> and foods under a locally initiated "Kenyans for Kenyans" famine relief
>> campaign. We raised far much more than those foreign humanitarian relief
>> operations could, only for Red Cross to lock up the food and let it expire
>> in their stores! A shame on Red Cross. They owe Kenyans and the world an
>> apology. The "International Community" must safeguard against their
>> demonstrated negligence from ever happening again, anywhere around the
>> world - Alex Gakuru]
>>
>> - - -
>>
>> By Lucas Ng’asike
>>
>> [image: nhcap120112_01.jpg]
>>
>> Tonnes of relief food meant for the starving in Turkana County have
>> expired in Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) warehouse in Lodwar.
>>
>> Some food expired on January 8 while another consignment is expected to
>> go bad next week.
>> The relief food has been in the store for months.
>>
>> KRCS relief officer in Lodwar Ms Flora Kyondo confirmed the expiry of the
>> supplies.
>>
>> Ms Kyondo was at pains to explain why the food was not distributed on
>> time. "It is true that food has expired in the store but it is now under
>> the custody of public health officers," said Kyondo.
>>
>> Kyondo said the organisation stopped distribution of relief food in
>> October last year.
>>
>> The relief officer said they had recalled about 1,866 Unimix bags, which
>> they had distributed to primary schools for analysis.
>>
>> Expired food
>>
>> However, sources said the organisation has been distributing relief food
>> in its compound in Lodwar.
>>
>> Kyondo had initially denied the presence of the food until the media
>> confirmed to her that they had taken clips of the expired food.
>>
>> Turkana Central DC Humphrey Nakitare said Kenya Red Cross Society should
>> handle the matter.
>>
>> "Kenya Red Cross is an independent organisation. It should be in a
>> position to explain what happened," said the DC.
>>
>> On his part, Turkana Central District Public Health officer Innocent
>> Sifuna said officials had seized 28 bales of Sorghum Mix, which expired on
>> January 8 this year from Kenya Red Cross warehouse in Lodwar.
>>
>> He added that all the bales have been recorded and will be destroyed
>> according to the law.
>>
>> Disappointment
>>
>> Dozens of starving residents in the county interviewed have expressed
>> disappointment over the expiry of relief food meant for them.
>>
>> Local leaders raised concern over the matter, questioning why KRCS kept
>> the food in the warehouse for several months without distributing it to
>> needy residents.
>>
>> Mr Derrick Ejore of Kenya Chamber of Commerce and Industry said it was
>> unfair for KRCS to keep the food until it expires while residents are
>> starving.
>>
>> "It is unjust for Red Cross to waste food, which Kenyans donated funds to
>> buy yet the hunger situation has not been alleviated," Ejore said.
>>
>> http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000049866&cid=4&
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
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