The Ministry of Health has flagged 5,000 cartons of Ready to Eat Therapeutic Food to three counties affected by drought.
The food worth Sh26 million is expected to feed 10,000 children in Turkana, Samburu and Isiolo counties affected by severe acute malnutrition.
According to the World Health Organisation Kenya country representative Dr Abdourahmane Diallo, the food, is enough to treat severe acute malnutrition for two months.
He said that even though a lot is being done to help contain the situation, a lot more needs to be done saying having over four million people under severe food shortage is an extremely difficult situation for any government, anywhere.
Diallo said malnutrition is a major threat to children’s lives and their long-term health and development.
"Malnutrition causes stunted growth, which in turn affects a child’s brain develop and might have serious consequences throughout their lives," he said.
"Malnutrition and diseases also have a synergetic relationship where hungry children become sick more easily and sick children become more easily malnourished."
Speaking during the event, PS State Department of Public Health Dr Josephine Mburu said counties in the Arid and Semi-Arid areas are disproportionately affected by high levels of acute malnutrition.
This, she said, is often a result of cyclical droughts that affect food security and the livelihoods of the communities.
"Out of the 47 counties, 9 (19 per cent) have a prevalence of stunting above 30 per cent, a level categorised as ‘very high’ in public health significance," she said.
This comes even as East African Community, ASALs and Regional Development CS Rebecca Miano called for new and bold ideas to tackle the drought that has continued to hit various parts of the country.
Miano spoke last week during a high-level meeting organised by the National Drought Management Authority and USAID to develop phase two of the ending drought emergencies strategy.
According to the CS, at least 4.35 million Kenyans are in dire need of relief food as the drought continues to bite while 960,000 children are severely malnourished.
