Seven districts at the Coast face scarcity as shortage of water threatens learning

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By Standard Team

Most parts of Coast Province face famine despite sporadic rainfall.

The hard hit districts are Malindi, Tana River, Kilifi, Kaloleni, Taita, Taveta and Kwale. Cases of malnutrition have been reported.

In Taita and Taveta, more than 200,000 residents have been hit by food shortages, while famine in Malindi has been complicated by acute water shortage.

The number of schools under the school feeding programme was raised from 40 to 90 this term in Malindi.

In Kilifi and Kaloleni, the Government has set up a relief and recovery programme to address long-term poor food production.

More than 100,000 people in the two districts are starving.

The drought management officer in charge of Kilifi and Kaloleni districts, Mr Bethuel Wafula, said the Government had shifted from the previous Emergency Operation Programme.

In Tana River, a conflict between Pokomo farmers and Wardei pastoralists is brewing over water and grazing field.

Farmers in Wenje Division accuse the pastoralists of trespassing into the farms in search of pasture.

Action Aid, an NGO, has distributed relief food to the two communities. "We supply relief food and build water pans to ease the situation," said Action Aid Programme Officer Dennis Wali.

Rainfall has failed in three consecutive seasons in Taita and Taveta districts.

Nominated Councillor Jerusha Mdamu claimed: "A family collapsed in my house when they came to ask for food. I prepared porridge for them."

But Taita acting DC Raphael Lemaletian dismissed the claims, saying the food situation has improved after the World Food Programme distributed relief food last week.

"I do not agree with him. The WFP has donated relief food to more than 75,000 residents," he said.