Starving residents of Tana River call for help

More than 40,000 residents of Tana River county are starving and many pupils are out of school. 

The worst-hit areas include Bura and Bangal. Learning has been disrupted as most children accompany their parents in search of water and pasture for their livestock.

Small children and the elderly stay behind as they cannot walk long distances. This was evident during a relief food distribution exercise conducted on Friday.

Elders, led by Daudi Bonaya, urged the government to move with speed and relaunch the livestock offtake programme before the drought wipes them away. In 2017, the government bought and slaughtered emaciated animals in drought-hit areas and distributed meat to starving residents.

At Taake Primary School, it was evident from one blackboard that the learning has not been taking place in the past two months. The blackboard had English lesson notes written on May 7. Three other classes were closed.

At Elneka Primary School, headteacher Issack Mohamud said of 50 pupils, only 15 attend classes. He said the 15 could also stay away if the situation worsens. Mohamud said most of the pupils have been moving with their parents. Nomadism is a common way of life among residents. They return to their residences when there is enough water and pasture. 

MP Ali Wario has called for proper mitigation measures to tackle the problem and ensure it does not get out of hand. He said the March-April short rains were not enough to generate adequate pasture and fill pans and dams. The lawmaker spoke in Hosingo. 

Short-term solutions would involve water trucking and supply of fodder to livestock to avoid competition over scarce resources, which, in many cases, lead to conflict and even deaths.

Wario blamed the problem on national policymakers, saying they focus on farming but have failed to understand residents’ way of life. He appealed to the government to build boarding primary schools to ensure learning continues during ravaging dry spells. 

(Edited by F'Orieny)