NDMA launches Sh19 million drought response in Garissa

The NDMA has launched a Sh19 million drought response in Garissa to cushion residents in the most affected parts.

It includes scaling up of water trucking to Lagdera, Balambala and Fafi subcounties, provision of 12,000 litres of fuel to subsidise operational costs and allocation of 5,600 bags of livestock feed supplements.

The deteriorating drought situation has continued to severely impact the food security and livelihoods of vulnerable households.

The most affected sectors are water, livestock, health and nutrition, agriculture and education.

NDMA board chairman Raphael Nzomo said the interventions are running concurrently with the hunger safety net programme.

In the programme, cash transfers are disbursed to vulnerable households in Turkana, Mandera, Wajir and Marsabit counties.

Nzomo said NDMA will continue monitoring the evolving drought situation to inform further intervention.

He spoke on Wednesday at the Garissa NDMA offices when he led the flagging off of water bowsers. 

The chairman was flanked by NDMA chief executive officer Hareth Hassan and top national and county officials led by county commissioner Boaz Cherutich and deputy governor Abdi Dagane.

“As you are aware the drought situation, which is the worst in four decades, continues to worsen across most of the arid and semi-arid counties.

"We are trying to find ways in which we can mitigate on the same through the support of state, non state actors and well-wishers,” Nzomo said.

The chairman further thanked the European Union for providing funds for drought response through the NDMA.

He said since August last year, a total of Sh486 million of EU funds have been disbursed to ASAL counties for water, livestock, education, health and nutrition.

The March to May 2022 failed long rains has worsened the situation as pastoralists move far and wide in search of water and pasture for their animals.

Cherutich said the national government is keeping a close eye on the situation and will do everything to ensure it assists the drought stricken residents.

Dagane lauded the governments effort to address the situation saying water trucking will go along way in addressing the shortage.

He appealed for more help from NGOs and other well-wishers saying the magnitude of the problem calls for a collaborative effort to address it.

“We appeal for more help because the current situation dictates so. People are suffering especially in the rural areas as they continue to lose their only source of livelihood.

"Help needs to come our way as quickly as possible. We have started witnessing human-wildlife conflict,” Dagane said.

According to the NDMA August report, the drought status in Garissa is at an alarm phase and the situation is deteriorating rapidly in all subcounties.

The report further states that all surface water sources have dried up, increasing pressure on the permanent sources such as boreholes.

The overall food security situation in the county remains critical.

More than 370,000 people in the county are facing acute food shortage with the number projected to rise to above 420,000 by December.

(Edited by Bilha Makokha)