More than 3.5 million Kenyans living in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands are at risk of starvation due to prolonged drought.
This is according to a report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The horn of African countries which include Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia are currently experiencing the most severe drought in 40 years.
The region has had three consecutive poor rainfall seasons with the trend projected to persist during the short rainy season in October.
This could spell doom for the region where rain fed-agriculture is the economic mainstay.
According to the National Drought Management Authority May report, eight counties are in the alarm drought phase.
They include Mandera, Marsabit, Laikipia, Turkana, Wajir, Samburu, Isiolo and Baringo.
Nine counties are in the alert drought phase. They include Garissa, Kilifi, Kitui, Kwale, Tana River, Lamu, Meru (North), Nyeri (Kieni) and West Pokot.
The ongoing drought in the country has led to crop failure and livestock death.
This coupled with skyrocketing prices of groceries has led to a scarcity of food especially in the ASALs, putting many lives at risk.
Many families are unable to afford a meal a day, and their livestock —the main source of income—have died due to a lack of sufficient pasture and water.
The few they have left, are unable to fetch good prices on the market as a majority of them are emaciated.
The residents have to travel long distances in search of pasture and water for their livestock.
The distance covered ranges from 12 to 33 Kilometres.
Due to the poor health of the livestock, milk production has in turn reduced.
The livestock cannot be slaughtered for meat but is collected, killed and burned in the open field due to poor health. This has greatly affected the nutrition of the said communities.
According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cross Crescent Societies, many of the regions in Northern Kenya continue to experience acute malnutrition.
For instance, studies by the society revealed a global acute malnutrition rate of 53.6 per cent in Marsabit, one of the highest in Africa.
The residents have lost close to 70 per cent of their livestock to the ravages of drought.
Kenya National Drought Management Authority estimates 1.5 million livestock have died in the period running from October 2021 to March due to drought in the ASALs.
This has to a larger extent affected milk production and ultimately, ravaged the economy of the areas.
Child mortality is occasioned by a lack of access to food, especially in the lactating mothers. This in turn translates to a lack of breast milk for breastfeeding children.
It is estimated that close to 755,000 children under five years and about 103,000 pregnant and lactating mothers are acutely malnourished and in urgent need of treatment.
In addition, the biting drought has exacerbated inter-community conflicts due to the scramble for scarce resources like pasture, water and food.
This affects the normal way of life and the economic activities of the communities and ultimately, access to food.
Many children in areas like Marsabit, Turkana and Wajir solely depend on school meal programmes.
Some of them, however, are unable to make it to school since they are unable to trek the long distances to school.
Other studies show that some poor households in other regions in the country, are unable to purchase food, especially maize which is a staple food in many households in the country.
This is a result of an increase in the price of a bag of maize and beans to between 10 -25 per cent above average, buoyed by the poor rain patterns.
Many of the families have resorted to coping measures like going on one meal a day.
The government launched a programme in October last year, to enhance the distribution of aid to the drought-hit areas under the auspices of the Kenya Drought Flash Appeal.
This was in form of emergency food aid and water.
In addition, the government distributed relief cash to the families to help avert the suffering occasioned by the drought.
The aid has progressively been boosted by contributions from other humanitarian bodies and well-wishers.
Most of the families in the affected areas depend on humanitarian aid from the national government, the county government and other humanitarian bodies.
The aid, however, is not sufficient to rescue the communities from the severe effects of the drought.
Well-wishers should come out in large numbers and help boost the kitty and avert a humanitarian crisis.
Although this is a natural disaster resulting from climate change, the government has its work cut out to prevent future human suffering resulting from drought.
Early warnings by the meteorological department and the Disaster Management Authority will help avert the disasters.
The government should come up with measures to enlighten the public on climate change and how to prevent global warming like the use of clean energy.
The government can also help the communities in the Asals areas by training and providing them with drought-resistant crops.
In addition, the government can construct boreholes in the areas to ensure a constant flow of water even during severe drought.
Early warning will help avert constant human suffering like malnutrition in the ASALs
Nairobi
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
