Garissa needs food, animal feed and bursaries in drought

Garissa county officials are trying to ensure drought-stricken families have food and water, animals have feed and children have emergency bursaries.

County commissioner Boaz Cherutich on Wednesday urged collaboration, saying when all agencies are cooperating, duplication is avoided and efficiency increased.

Cherutich said so far 337 households have been severely affected by drought.

He spoke at the farmers' training centre after chairing the steering committee that discussed drought.

“A number of programmes are running and we will scale up to reach out to needy families as soon as possible," he said.

The committee agreed the national and county governments should buy 22,000 bags of animal feed.

The committee said children from less privileged families are in dire need of emergency bursaries.

“Communities largely depend on livestock for livelihoods that have been hurt by the drought,"Cherutich said.

Many of their children are in secondary schools and need assistance, otherwise, they won't be able to take their children to school. Then they drop out.

"We want 100 per cent transition," the commissioner said. 

The committee urged that development partners fighting drought be given more security.

The National Drought Management Authority said the overall security situation is critical, and rains have failed for two successive seasons.

Surface water sources have dried up early, putting pressure on boreholes throughout the county.

Pastures are dry and depleted countywide, thus, herders drive livestock outside normal dry season grazing areas.

All species of livestock are suffering from lack of food and water.

(Edited by V. Graham)