- The support will go towards the production of up to 90 million litres of milk and up to 40,000 tonnes of staple food crops in the first part of 2022.
- FAO says the number of highly food insecure people in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia could climb to 15-20 million.
Image: STEPHEN ASTARIKO
Close to Sh15 billion is needed to assist vulnerable communities in drought-hit regions of Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia between now and June, UN says.
FAO deputy director general, Beth Bechdol said drought cycles are intensifying and occurring with greater frequency.
She added that immediate humanitarian action is needed to support farmers and herders.
Bechdol spoke on Thursday after visiting communities in Isiolo and Marsabit counties where goats and cows are dying from lack of water and pasture.
“The international community has a narrow window to prevent a major humanitarian catastrophe here,” she said.
FAO subregional coordinator for Eastern Africa, David Phiri said the funds will help support the production of up to 90 million litres of milk and up to 40,000 tonnes of staple food crops in the first part of 2022.
The aid, he says, will put over one million highly-food insecure people on a safe footing.
“Alarm bells have already been rung and scaled-up action is needed now,” Phiri said.
The coordinator said FAO carried out anticipatory actions during the latter half of 2021 in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.
The actions, he says, were to mitigate the impacts of drought on more than one million rural people and so far a crisis has been mitigated.
"But much more is needed as the situation deteriorates and as crisis looms,” he added.
On Thursday, Germany contributed Sh2.6 billion to FAO to save lives and livelihoods of the most severely drought-affected farmers and herders in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia.
Out of this, 35,000 households in Kenya will receive veterinary care to sustain their animals and highly nutritious range cubes to feed livestock.
The range cubes enable animals to continue to provide milk, as a source of food and income for communities.
In addition, FAO will carry out cash transfers to ensure the most vulnerable can access basic foods and services.
According to the National Drought Management Authority, January 2022 drought phase classification, 11 counties are in the alert drought phase.
The counties include Embu, Meru (North), Nyeri (Kieni), Taita Taveta, Tana River, Tharaka-Nithi, Laikipia, Baringo, Kajiado, Narok and Samburu.
Makueni and West Pokot are in the normal drought phase, whereas Garissa, Kilifi, Lamu, Wajir, Isiolo, Kwale, Mandera, Marsabit and Turkana are at an alarm phase. However, Kitui recorded a recovery phase.
During the month under review, 11 counties, Embu (Mbeere), Meru (North), Nyeri (Kieni), Taita Taveta, Tana River, Tharaka-Nithi, Garissa, Kilifi, Lamu, Wajir and Kitui reported an improving trend, while Makueni and Laikipia recorded a stable trend.
Baringo, Kajiado, Narok, Samburu, Isiolo, Kwale, Mandera, Marsabit, Turkana and West Pokot reported a worsening trend.
NDMA indicated that the deteriorating display is as result of poor rains received during the short rains season.
At a briefing to international donors in Nairobi, FAO and its partners reported that the food security outlook in the region will be highly dependent on the performance of the upcoming rainy season, with forecasts currently uncertain.
“In a worst-case scenario in which the rains completely fail and agricultural-dependent communities do not receive adequate support, the number of highly food insecure people could climb to 15-20 million.
"Some worst-affected households will face catastrophic hunger conditions,” FAO said.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)
Image: SHABAN OMAR