Drought: One million children crying for food

The number of malnourished children due to the biting drought is increasing alarmingly with 18,000 more entering the bracket in just 34 days.

The numbers, according to the East Africa Community, Arid and Semi Arid Lands and Regional Development Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano, may have originated from counties which are not ASAL but have pockets of people in need of relief food.

“The counties include Kirinyaga, Kiambu, Machakos, Nakuru, Murang’a, Elgeyo Marakwet, Siaya, Homa Bay and Migori,” said the CS yesterday when she gave an update of the drought situation in the country.

On December 7, she had announced that the country had recorded 942,000 cases of severely malnourished children and the number had risen to 960,000 by yesterday.

High rates of children at risk of malnutrition have been noted in Marsabit, Mandera, Garissa, Baringo and Isiolo counties.

Miano (pictured) reported that two more counties had joined the 23 most affected counties.

The situation in the counties is critical according to the CS who also painted a grim picture on the status of wildlife.

“An estimated 2.5 million wildlife are affected, but we are working with the Ministry of Wildlife to try and address this situation,” she said.

She attributed the situation to poor rains from October to December, the short rains season.

When the CS released a similar update 34 days ago, she was hopeful that the weather conditions would slightly improve. But the expectations did not materialise.

“This marked the fifth consecutive failed rain season,” she noted.

Kenya is currently EAC’s worst drought hit country with nine counties namely Kilifi, Mandera, Marsabit, Samburu, Turkana, Wajir, Isiolo, Kitui and Kajiado being on alarm phase.

This is based on the range of indicators monitored by the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA). The indicators show that 13 other counties are in alert drought phase.

“They include Garissa, Lamu, Narok, Tana River, Makueni, Tharaka Nithi, Baringo, Laikipia, Meru, Taita Taveta, West Pokot, Nyeri and Kwale,” the CS said.

Miano said the mitigation policies put in place by the government over the years had helped to reduce the severity of the drought.

She said the situation in Taita Taveta, Kwale, Garissa and Tana River counties had improved slightly.

“However, this was also due to light showers received during the last week of December,” she noted, pointing out that Baringo and West Pokot counties, that had normal drought conditions, had slid to alert drought phase.

Pasture conditions

The drought warning system indicates that the vegetation condition had deteriorated in some of the counties, especially in Marsabit, Wajir and Isiolo, which have recorded extreme vegetation deficit.

“Satellite monitoring also shows severe vegetation deficit in Mandera, Samburu and Kwale counties,” the CS said.

An ongoing assessment by a government multiagency team partnering with UN agencies shows that pasture and livestock browsing conditions had deteriorated in Baringo, Garissa, Isiolo, Mandera, Marsabit, Narok, Turkana, Wajir, West Pokot, Kajiado and Kwale counties.

For this reason, the physical conditions of cattle and goats ranged from fair to poor as a result of trekking long distances in search of water and pasture.

“Drought-related livestock mortalities, therefore, continue to be reported in several counties including Marsabit, Isiolo, Turkana, Samburu and Mandera,” the CS revealed.

And while pasture and browse conditions had improved in some of the counties, it is not expected to last long due to migration and high concentration of livestock in grazing areas.

Already, resource-based conflicts have been noted in parts of Isiolo at the Burat and Kinna areas; Baringo in Tiaty; and in Laikipia, pockets of friction have been witnessed in Laikipia North sub-county.

“With regard to access to water, trekking distances for households and livestock have increased due to poor recharge of sources across ASAL counties. There is, therefore, need for enhanced water-related interventions such as repair of strategic boreholes and water trucking,” the CS said.

Short rains

The delayed and poor rainfall distribution as well as the Fall Army Worm infestation, have affected crop production in some of the marginal agricultural areas, further undermining the fragile food security situation in most households.

Currently, the Ministry of EAC, ASALS and Regional Development is conducting a multi-agency assessment of the 2022 short rains season to ascertain its impact on food security.

The assessment, which is being coordinated through NDMA, is expected to inform the scale of interventions the government will take to mitigate the drought in the country.

“I assure fellow Kenyans that he government is committed to building resilience in order to ensure that our state of preparedness is taken care of and no life will be lost to hunger,” Miano said.

Miano noted that the government had mapped affected counties, sub-counties and wards, saying this will improve targeted response.

“The interventions are informed by the findings gathered by county steering groups which are chaired by governors,” the CS said.

The government has undertaken a raft of drought mitigation and response measures geared towards cushioning the most vulnerable.

They include the distribution of relief food, cash transfers, screening and treatment for malnutrition, water trucking, livestock feeds supplies and livestock off-take programme.

Miano estimated that at least 4.35 million people are in dire need of relief food.

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