Open Call: General Food Distribution in Dadaab Refugee Camp (Kenya)

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is seeking qualified organisations to serve as Cooperating Partners for general food distribution (GFD) to refugees and asylum seekers in Hagadera and Ifo 2 camps in Dadaab, Kenya. The selected partner will manage food distribution, commodity handling, community engagement, complaints and feedback mechanisms, monitoring, reporting, safeguarding, and inclusive humanitarian assistance.

What Is the WFP Dadaab Food Distribution Opportunity?

The World Food Programme (WFP) is inviting experienced organisations to apply as a Cooperating Partner for general food distribution in the Hagadera and Ifo 2 refugee camps in Dadaab, Kenya.

The initiative forms part of WFP’s ongoing humanitarian food assistance to refugees and asylum seekers.

It is aligned with the WFP Kenya Country Strategic Plan 2023–2027 and the Differentiated Assistance Framework, which uses household vulnerability levels to support more targeted and equitable food assistance.

Where Will the Project Be Implemented?

The selected organisation will support food distribution in:

Hagadera Refugee Camp
Ifo 2 Refugee Camp
Dadaab, Kenya

The programme focuses on ensuring that eligible refugee households receive food assistance in an efficient, safe, transparent, and equitable manner.

What Is General Food Distribution?

General Food Distribution (GFD) refers to the organised provision of food assistance to eligible populations affected by displacement, food insecurity, or humanitarian crises.

Under this opportunity, the cooperating partner will help WFP ensure that food commodities reach eligible refugees and asylum seekers while maintaining appropriate standards for:

Food assistance delivery
Beneficiary protection
Accountability
Inclusion
Community participation
Commodity management
Monitoring and reporting

What Will the Selected Cooperating Partner Do?

The selected organisation will have significant operational responsibilities throughout the food distribution process.

Key responsibilities include:

Planning and coordinating general food distributions.
Managing food commodities.
Organising distribution activities.
Recruiting and training project staff.
Establishing and operating help desks.
Receiving and responding to beneficiary complaints and feedback.
Engaging refugee communities.
Monitoring distribution activities.
Preparing operational reports.
Supporting accountability to affected populations.
Ensuring protection and safeguarding measures.
Promoting gender equality.
Supporting disability inclusion.
Ensuring compliance with humanitarian principles.

The partner must coordinate closely with WFP and comply with applicable operational and donor requirements.

Why Does This Opportunity Matter?

Food assistance is a critical component of humanitarian support for displaced populations.

Effective distribution requires more than transporting food commodities. It also requires strong systems for beneficiary identification, community engagement, accountability, protection, monitoring, and complaint resolution.

The cooperating partner will therefore play an important role in ensuring that assistance reaches vulnerable households fairly and safely.

What Is the Differentiated Assistance Framework?

The Differentiated Assistance Framework is intended to support a more targeted approach to humanitarian assistance.

Rather than treating every refugee household in exactly the same way, assistance can be informed by differences in household vulnerability.

This approach aims to:

Improve targeting of assistance.
Prioritise vulnerable households.
Promote equitable food assistance.
Improve efficiency in humanitarian operations.
Strengthen evidence-based decision-making.

Who Is Eligible?

The opportunity is intended for qualified and experienced organisations capable of implementing humanitarian food distribution activities.

Applicants should demonstrate:

Relevant technical experience.
Experience implementing humanitarian or food-assistance programmes.
Strong operational and management capacity.
A clear implementation methodology.
Capacity to manage commodities effectively.
Community engagement experience.
Monitoring and reporting systems.
Strong safeguarding and protection practices.
Ability to promote gender equality and disability inclusion.
Cost-effective implementation systems.
Ability to comply with WFP policies and procedures.

The applicant must be capable of operating effectively in the Dadaab refugee-camp context.

What Will WFP Look for in Applicants?

The selection process will consider the organisation’s ability to deliver high-quality humanitarian services.

Important considerations include:

Organisational Capacity

Applicants should demonstrate that they have the personnel, systems, experience, and operational infrastructure required for food distribution.

Technical Experience

Relevant experience in areas such as food assistance, refugee response, humanitarian logistics, community engagement, or similar programmes can strengthen an application.

Implementation Methodology

Applicants should provide a practical explanation of how they will organise and implement general food distribution.

Accountability

The proposed approach should include effective systems for complaints, feedback, communication, and accountability to affected populations.

Cost Effectiveness

Applicants should demonstrate that available resources will be used efficiently while maintaining appropriate humanitarian standards.

How to Prepare an Application

Organisations considering this opportunity should develop a clear and evidence-based proposal.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity Requirements

Carefully review the official WFP application documents, requirements, operational expectations, and submission instructions.

Step 2: Demonstrate Relevant Experience

Provide evidence of previous work involving:

Humanitarian assistance.
Food distribution.
Refugee or displaced populations.
Community engagement.
Commodity management.
Monitoring and reporting.

Use specific examples and measurable results where possible.

Step 3: Develop an Implementation Plan

Explain how the organisation will manage:

Distribution planning.
Food commodity handling.
Staffing.
Training.
Community mobilisation.
Help desks.
Complaints and feedback.
Monitoring.
Reporting.
Protection and safeguarding.

Step 4: Explain the Accountability Approach

Describe how beneficiaries will be able to:

Ask questions.
Submit complaints.
Provide feedback.
Report concerns.
Access appropriate support.

The approach should be accessible to different groups, including people with disabilities and other potentially vulnerable beneficiaries.

Step 5: Address Inclusion and Protection

Applicants should explain how they will integrate:

Gender equality.
Disability inclusion.
Safeguarding.
Protection principles.
Accountability to affected populations.

Step 6: Demonstrate Cost Effectiveness

The proposal should show how the organisation will achieve efficient implementation without compromising the quality, safety, or dignity of food assistance.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Applicants should avoid:

Providing generic humanitarian experience without relevant examples.
Submitting an unclear distribution methodology.
Underestimating commodity-management requirements.
Failing to explain complaint and feedback systems.
Ignoring safeguarding and protection.
Providing weak monitoring and reporting arrangements.
Failing to address disability inclusion and gender equality.
Presenting unrealistic staffing or implementation plans.
Focusing only on food delivery while overlooking accountability and community engagement.
Submitting a budget without demonstrating value for money.

Key Areas to Highlight in the Proposal

A strong application should establish a clear connection between:

Organisational experience → Implementation capacity → Safe food distribution → Community engagement → Accountability → Monitoring → Measurable results

Applicants should demonstrate not only that they can distribute food, but that they can deliver assistance efficiently, equitably, safely, and with dignity.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the WFP Dadaab Cooperating Partner opportunity?

It is an opportunity for qualified organisations to work with the United Nations World Food Programme to implement general food distribution for refugees and asylum seekers in Hagadera and Ifo 2 camps in Dadaab, Kenya.

Where will the food distribution take place?

Activities will be implemented in Hagadera and Ifo 2 refugee camps in Dadaab, Kenya.

What will the selected organisation be responsible for?

Responsibilities include food distribution planning, commodity management, staffing, community engagement, help desks, complaints and feedback, monitoring, reporting, safeguarding, protection, gender equality, and disability inclusion.

Who can apply?

Qualified and experienced organisations with relevant technical and operational capacity can apply, subject to the detailed eligibility and application requirements established by WFP.

Is previous humanitarian experience important?

Yes. Applicants are expected to demonstrate relevant technical experience, implementation capacity, and the ability to operate effectively in a humanitarian and refugee-response environment.

What is the Differentiated Assistance Framework?

It is an approach that considers differences in household vulnerability when determining assistance, helping humanitarian actors provide food assistance more efficiently and equitably.

What factors will influence selection?

WFP will consider factors including partner qualifications, implementation methodology, technical capacity, accountability standards, and cost effectiveness.

Conclusion

The WFP General Food Distribution Cooperating Partner opportunity in Dadaab provides qualified organisations with the opportunity to support critical food assistance for refugees and asylum seekers in Hagadera and Ifo 2 camps.

Successful applicants will need to demonstrate strong humanitarian experience, practical distribution systems, effective commodity management, community engagement, robust monitoring, and a strong commitment to protection, safeguarding, inclusion, and accountability to affected populations.