Mandera people are in dire straits due to the acute famine and hunger situation in the county with over 400,000 men, women and children at risk of starvation and death.
It is clear that both state and non-state actors inevitably must synergise, join hands and pull together against an impending disaster of monumental proportions.
Today, nearly Sh2 billion is required to provide emergency interventions, especially to the most vulnerable segments of the population—children, women and the elderly.
Failure of the October-November rains as projected by the Met department is a red flag that it may become worse before it gets better for a people whose lives are on the precipice.
It is heartbreaking to see carcasses of livestock strewn in the large semi-arid landscape; something needs to be done quickly.
Statistics released by the National Drought Management Authority show a sorry state, with cumulative livestock deaths since January to date standing at 495,169 goats, 365,283 cattle, 160,721 camels, sheep and 29,314 donkeys.
There’s no doubt that the perennial drought problem requires a long-lasting solution based on modern water management technological applications, including damming, drip irrigation, sinking more boreholes and rainwater harvesting.
Additionally, the Kenya Meat Commission can swiftly redouble its efforts to buy cattle, goat and camels at highly discounted rates instead of leaving the livestock to starve to death through the livestock off-take programme.
Food aid is critical to mitigate human suffering in Mandera and with the county government led by Governor Mohamed Adan Khalif providing 2 million litres of water daily, it is just but a fraction of the water needs of the 92 villages, 41 boarding schools and 312 ECDE centres.
Reflecting that the third school term is very short and the national exams are around the corner, the critical intervention for the schoolchildren for food and water cannot be overemphasized.
Obviously, the lack of water and food has resulted in malnutrition since the beginning of the year and diseases hitherto preventable in the absence of drought. This calls for emergency medical supplies and formula.
Importantly, there’s need for mass cash transfer programme for households to mitigate hunger that has seen families going without food for days. The Red Cross, COCOP, Racida and many other non-state actors are complementing what the government is doing already; yet more money is urgently required in this particular intervention.
As it is, there is a huge number of livestock that requires supplementary feeds, treatment and water, including 1,365,841 goats, 452,724 cattle, 386,448 camel, 333,260 sheep, and donkeys 105,660.
Parliament must sit, as a matter of national emergency, to double the drought mitigation fund provided for through NDMA, especially as people from neighbouring Ethiopia and Somalia are crossing into Mandera stretching facilities including health infrastructure and services.
We can only thank development partners who have turned up to help especially Action Against Hunger, Racida, NDMA, Islamic Relief, World Vision, DRC, Kenya Red Cross, Nepad, Care International, Save the Children, COCOP, World Food Programme, Unicef and the Consortium of Cooperating Partners; and Mandera County Government will upscale efforts to provide the much-needed material and logistical support.
The people of Mandera need more and now. The Mandera drought is moving populations to neighbouring counties in search of pasture with the consequent potential to cause conflict.
We however ask our neighbours to be accommodative and tolerant for we hope this will be a temporary condition that will be overcome in the long term.
Deputy governor, Mandera county
