Kenyans
wake up every day to horrific stories about a drought that is
putting 2.5 million people at risk. After the failure of yet
another rainy season, farmers watch their cattle, their only
source of food and income, die of thirst and hunger.
Water is a critical need in many districts. Local leaders warn
that some people face imminent death from thirst unless they
get water in the next week.
Water is also a priority for the Kenya Red Cross Society, which,
together with the International Federation of Red Cross and
Red Crescent Societies, has launched an appeal to raise Swiss
francs 16.4 million (US$ 10.5 million or EUR 12.7 million) to
help 329,000 people in northern Kenya hit by drought and hunger.
“We need resources to transport food and water to the
drought areas,” says Farid Abdulkadir, disaster preparedness
and response officer at the Kenya Red Cross Society.
“In addition we need water trucks for the worst hit areas.
We need to drill new boreholes and maintain existing waterholes,”
he says.
Mass deaths of livestock have already been reported in several
districts. Mortality rates hit 40% with worsening prospects
after the failure of the short rains in December.
Pastoralists spend entire days trekking 40 kilometres to search
for water and pasture. Many are now fleeing to Uganda in hope
of better conditions.
Even if it rains today it would not help, say the pastoralists
in Machakos. All the crops in the fields are dead, so the villagers
will have nothing to harvest.
As a result of the drought, no one is hiring labour for the
harvesting.
“Without a job, how can we provide food for our children?”
asks a father if eight from Machakos, 100km from the capital.
It is the children, pregnant women and the aged who are the
worst hit. Patients of all ages suffering from malnutrition
and diarrhoeal disease are coming to the understaffed and under
resourced hospitals at an increasing pace. So, as the vulnerability
to malnutrition and disease increases, additional drugs and
medical supplies are needed to support health centres.
Asha Mohammed, Vice Secretary General of the Kenya Red Cross
says, “the terrible thing about the drought is seeing
the many malnourished children in the overcrowded hospitals
whose hopes are slim of survival.”
As school resumes this month, many classrooms will remain empty.
Families cannot pay for school fees or uniforms as a result
of the crisis.
Solomon Tauwo, responsible for the Red Cross relief operation
in Kajiado, says, “we have to start working with the local
schools to create schemes to get children back when school resumes.”
In response to the crisis, the Kenya Red Cross heads major operations
in Mandera, Marsabit, Wajir and Kajiado, areas which have been
declared emergency districts.
Food donations in the form of maize flour, oil, beans and uji
(maize flour porridge) are coming from Kenyan people and national
companies, as well as international donors.
The Kenya Red Cross also plans to give medical kits to 10 overstretched
hospitals to reduce mortality rates.
In addition to distributing food and improving access to safe
water, the Red Cross is buying surviving animals from pastoralists
for slaughter, distributing the meat to the hungriest people
in the communities, says Mr Abdulkadir.
“The result is two-fold. Pastoralists get money to support
their families for some time ahead and the whole community also
benefits from the access to food,” says Mr. Abdulkadir.
The scheme also helps ease pressure on scarce pastures and water
supplies.
But the Kenya Red Cross needs to raise more money, says Mr Abdulkadir.
“We need additional funds to continue this operation and
not least to start relief in the many other districts.”
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Kwale
distribution of food. Food donations in the form of maize
flour, oil, beans and uji (maize flour porridge) are coming
from Kenyan people and national companies, as well as
international donors. (p13709)
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After
the failure of yet another rainy season, farmers watch
their cattle, their only source of food and income, die
of thirst and hunger. This cow died while giving birth.(p13708)
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| Maasai
looking for water. (p13710) |
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