Supkem takes initiative to salvage Northeastern drought situation

The Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims has taken an initiative to salvage the drought situation in the Northeastern region.

Supkem Northeastern regional coordinator Adan Yunis called for more support from the state and non-agencies to the drought-stricken residents.

“If no proper intervention is taken in the next month, there will be unprecedented death due to starvation. Our village people depend on livestock products for survival,” Yunis said in a letter dated September 16.

“Supkem has therefore embarked on this noble course to approach individuals, corporate and NGOs nationally and internationally to salvage the situation.”

He said currently, the priority needs are food packs for vulnerable households, water trucking, medicine for the hard to reach areas, direct cash transfers and school feeding programs.

In its September report, National Drought Management Authority said Wajir, Garissa and Mandera are in the alert drought phase with 500,000 people facing starvation in the Northeastern counties requiring urgent interventions.

The report further showed that at least 2.3 million people in Northern Kenya need food donations to survive until December this year.

This is a 40 per cent increase from the 1.4 million people that needed food aid in February.

Speaking on Saturday, Wajir Governor Ahmed  Mukhtar said drought was getting out of hand with pastoralists losing animals and families facing acute water and food shortage.

The situation was aggravated by three successive failed rain seasons and was compounded by desert locust invasion which wiped out vegetation.

Early last week, the government in partnership with the UN launched an appeal for Sh15,414,750,000 ($139.5 million) between October and December in efforts to restore livelihoods, health nutrition and sanitation interventions in hardest-hit counties.

He asked the state to reduce bureaucracy and ensure that drought-stricken residents are helped.

Mukhtar said many times the government releases funds and other essentials to help residents but they never get to the intended persons and they continue suffering and losing their animals.

He said the county has now prioritised the sector by carrying out massive vaccination exercises, providing animal feeds and launching water trucking exercises during drought.

Edited by Kiilu Damaris