DAR ES SALAAM, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The World Food Program (WFP) on Tuesday raised concern over severe cuts in food rations for refugees in Tanzania, warning of severe impacts on the nutrition and well-being of vulnerable groups.

According to the WFP, rations dropped to 50 percent of the minimum recommended daily kilocalorie requirement in June, down from 65 percent in May and 82 percent in previous months.

The reductions affect more than 186,000 refugees, including women, children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, and new arrivals who rely entirely on the WFP's assistance, the statement said.

The statement noted that ahead of the cuts, the WFP, in collaboration with Tanzania's Ministry of Home Affairs and partners, conducted community sensitization campaigns across refugee camps to prepare and inform affected populations.

The statement said the WFP also continued providing nutrition support for children suffering from severe acute malnutrition, in response to a request from the UN Refugee Agency.

The WFP also rolled out a two-week clean cooking training program in 13 refugee-hosting villages, focusing on the impact of firewood-based cooking, the use of energy-efficient stoves known as Jiko Rafiki, preparation of balanced meals, and fundamentals of carbon credit generation, added the statement. ■