High acute malnutrition reported in nine ASAL counties

The nutrition situation is currently critical in Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, Samburu, Turkana and Marsabit counties.

According to the latest drought report released last week by the United Nations- Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs the nutrition situation is also critical in Laisamis in Marsabit and Tiaty in Baringo.

Tana River and West Pokot are in a serious situation.

The Integrated Phase Classification Acute Malnutrition Analysis indicates that over 465,200 children under five and over 93,300 pregnant or lactating women are acutely malnourished in the ASAL region.

“Acute malnutrition has surpassed the emergency threshold in many areas, affecting between 15 per cent and 30 per cent of children in at least eight counties,” the report indicated.

The high acute malnutrition has been attributed to the prevalence of low food and milk availability, high morbidity, limited access to health and nutrition services, stock-out of essential supplies for management of acute malnutrition and poor childcare practices.

“This is coupled with underlying issues such as poverty, high illiteracy, and poor infrastructure across pastoral areas,” the report stated.

The UN report projected that the nutrition situation will worsen, affecting children and mothers, in Turkana, Samburu, Mandera, Garissa, Wajir, Isiolo and North Horr and Laisamis.

This will deteriorate significantly if the 2021 short rain performs poorly as anticipated.

The report showed that the cumulative impact of two consecutive poor rainy seasons, coupled with the Covid-19 pandemic, insecurity, pests and diseases have caused humanitarian needs to rapidly rise in the ASAL region.

This led to the declaration of a national disaster by the President on September 8.

The Kenya Meteorological Department weather outlook showed that both the 2020 short rain (October to December) and the 2021 long rain (March to May) were poor across the ASAL counties.

“The two rainy seasons were characterised by late-onset rainfall in most counties, as well as poor distribution of rainfall in time and space,” Met said.

Forecasts indicate that the upcoming short rain season (October to December 2021) is likely to be below average, compounded by the negative Indian Ocean Dipole.

The UN drought report shows that at least 2.1 million people are severely food insecure and this is expected to increase to nearly 2.4 million people from November.

“This will include an estimated 368,000 people in an emergency and two million people in crises. This is nearly three times (852,000) the number of people who were facing high acute food insecurity from October to December last year,” the UN said.

“Food insecurity is expected to worsen in the period ahead based on the likelihood of poor rains during the upcoming short rains season.” 

Nine counties are expected to have the highest numbers of people in acute food crisis and above from November.

They are Turkana, Mandera, Lamu, Garissa, Wajir, Kwale, Kitui, Tana River and Isiolo.

Edited by Kiilu Damaris