At least 1.4 million people are surviving on donated food in Northern Kenya because of drought.
The situation could last until end of the year, based on the current weather forecast. The drought is a result of the La Nina dry weather.
Kenya Red Cross Society predicts the situation could stabilise from October only if the short rains season will bring adequate rainfall.
On Friday, Red Cross appealed for Sh800 million to reach both drought-hit Kenyans and another 30,000 people facing floods in Western Kenya.
“We are dealing with two natural disasters that essentially should be mutually exclusive—drought in one region and flooding in the other,” Red Cross secretary-general Asha Mohammed said.
According to the Met Department, the current heavy rains in Western Kenya will not reach most parts of northeastern Kenya.
In an interview with the Star, Asha said the current drought condition is worse than last year.
“It's, unfortunately, worse because it has been compounded by Covid-19. When people in towns have lost jobs, they cannot remit money to relatives upcountry. So it’s not just people being unable to grow food, but also the purchasing power of people has been reduced yet the food prices have increased,” she said.
She explained why a bumper harvest in the Western region often does not alleviate the food shortage in Northern Kenya.
Asha said while food distribution is one problem, different parts of Kenya consume varying types of food.
“For example, maize and beans is not acceptable in some communities,” she noted.
In the appeal, Red Cross said Sh483 million will go to flood victims while Sh315 million will buy food for drought victims.
She said the projections show that between 15,000 and 30,000 families around Lake Victoria will be displaced by the ongoing heavy rains and will need shelter, food, clean water and basic healthcare.
According to the Kenya Meteorological Department, while Western, Rift Valley, Coast and Central Kenya will have enhanced rainfall this season, rainfall in Northern Kenya will be depressed.
Red Cross says this time everyone is affected by the drought, as opposed to just women and children in the past.
“Again, I would blame Covid because a lot of the men today have lost jobs. They have gone back to the rural area and they all just live there with their families. So we are targeting entire families.”
She also emphasised early warning systems as being more effective than waiting for emergency responses.
These include advising people to move to higher grounds in flood-prone areas and also digging boreholes in drought-hit regions.
The society is coordinating with Somalia and Ethiopia, which are also facing a prolonged drought.
“We are talking together as counterparts from Somalia and Ethiopia. We are talking with our [global] secretary to also to see how we can support the Somali Red Crescent and people in Somalia because even in 2011, very many people came from Somalia because of the drought and crossed over into Kenya,” she said.
Edited by Henry Makori
