Starving Kenyans wait on State for relief food

 

Thousands of people affected by drought have their eyes glued to the roads as they wait for relief trucks to save them from the ravaging hunger that has hit parts of the country.

Those affected, mainly pastoralists, are counting on food to be purchased by the Government from grain basket areas, in the hope that ratios allocated will be enough to sustain them for a number of days.

On the other hand, the Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) is grappling with a situation where animals have begun invading human habitats in search of food.

KWS said areas affected include Kilifi, Meru, Narok and the Tsavo National Park.

The organisation said the cases recorded showed an increase in human-wildlife conflicts compared to past years; the notable ones being attacks on people, destruction of property and crops, and predation on livestock.

“Cases in point include recent sightings of elephants moving from the Tsavo conservation area to Mwingi sub-county, while others were reported in Meru, Kilifi and Narok,” KWS officials said.

Several county governments have come up with measures to help deal with the drought on the ground.

In Lamu, Governor Issa Timamy announced the establishment of a Sh50 million famine and drought emergency fund to stem starvation in parts of the county.

Affected areas

The most affected areas, according to Mr Timamy, were Mkunumbi and Hongwe, which have been heavily affected by the lack of rainfall that has affected agricultural farming and pastoralism.

Other affected areas are Pandanguo, Witu, Koreni and Basuba. The dry conditions are stretching into Ijara and Garissa in the North-Eastern region.

The National Drought Management Authority also announced that due to rainfall failure for the better part of 2016, more than 72,000 people in Taita Taveta County faced starvation and urgently required relief supplies to avert deaths.

At the same time, county and national government officials have said interventions are ongoing in Voi sub-county, which is worst hit by the drought.

In the rapid assessment report, a total of more than Sh7.7 million has been disbursed to the region for response interventions in the sectors of peace and security, water, livestock and health.

Kitui County is also facing severe drought and hunger, with nearly 26,000 people under threat.

The drought, which began in May and is said to be worsening with every passing day, has led to acute water shortages in many parts of the county as existing boreholes dry up.

In parts of Endau and Malalani in Kitui East sub-county, the residents are trekking long distances in search of water.