The United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs Response will assist Kenya to cope up with the effects of two years of poor rains which has brought severe drought especially to the country's eastern and Rift Valley areas where about 1.4 million people live. A US $249,000 project supported by the two organizations will strengthen the government to coordinate aid and emergency activities. The assistance will support NGOs involved in food and cash for work programmes aimed at enhancing nutrition and income-earning opportunities for the affected groups.

According to a UNICEF report, Progress of Nations , in about 30 developing countries in the world, AIDS is reversing the gains made in the health care of children and women. Every day as many as 1,000 children around the world die from AIDS. At least 15 sub-Saharan countries may experience a decline of up to 11 years of life expectancy by AD 2000. Women, mostly in the child-bearing years, now account for nearly half of the new infections.