The drought in Mandera has continued affecting livelihoods in the region with imminent deaths of livestock expected if no intervention is taken to mitigate the effects.
In Banisa subcounty on the Ethiopian border, Mzee Abdirahman Ibrahim, a pastoralist, says if there will be no rainfall in the next two weeks there will be livestock deaths.
Abdirahman says they do not have any reason to smile as drought continues to affect their lives and livelihoods.
He says there has been no rainfall for the past two years.
This has led to the depletion of pasture and drying of water pans.
He says water is being supplied with water bowsers after a fortnight, which is not enough for domestic and livestock use.
The county has experienced various disasters for the last two years from severe drought, flash floods, locust invasion, the Covid-19 pandemic to bush fires compounded by insecurity which has made the county food insecure.
It is currently experiencing severe drought as a result of the cumulative failure of both the short rains and long rains of 2020.
The rains were depressed in most of the parts of the subcounties.
A food security assessment done between February 14 and March 10 by the National Drought Management Authority shows severe vegetation deficit, depletion of pastures and browsers and drying of water pans.
There is also concentration of livestock on major boreholes, which has led to frequent breakdowns.
Mandera water executive Mohamed Ali admitted the situation is grievous but said the county government was committed to fighting the drought.
Ali says the county government has increased water trucking with two water bowsers ferrying water to Banisa residents.
He says there has been a wide human-animal conflict as monkeys seek water and food from humans.
The National Drought Management Authority area coordinator Mohamed Alio says his agency was working in forming a government multi-agency to find a solution to the current drought.
He disclosed that the authority has already given cash transfers to over 22,000 families.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
