As drought scavenges Turkana, children are going hungry

School-going girls queue for water at Kelemung’orok in Turkana South in a file photo. The area has been hit hard by a dry spell. [File, Standard]

There are fears that harsh weather conditions in Turkana County could aggravate the food shortage crisis with concerns pupils will drop out of school.

More pupils are going hungry after organisations that used to supplement government’s school feeding programmes, suspended their help over delayed funding.

The County education quality and standard assurance officer Mr. Kavai Kisia, said schools were badly affected by the dry spell.

“This has reduced enrolment. This situation will soon depreciate figures of learners in schools,” he said.

According to Lodwar Mixed Primary School head teacher Mr James Akoyo, food is what makes children stay in school.

Akoyo said the drought situation had affected school attendance with girls mostly affected.

Mrs Priscilla Ayanae, a resident said the prolonged drought has seen many pupils leave school with most of them now languishing in the streets of Lodwar town.

She claimed that there has been cases of pupils reported collapsing in class because of going for days without food.

Water

Mrs Susan Muya, a resident of Lokipoto in Turkana West claims that since the seasonal rivers dried up, they have been walking for long distances in search of water in the company of their weak and malnourished children.

Mr Bethuel Kobongin, the Member of County Assembly (MCA) for Lokichoggio said: “We are surviving bullets and hunger because the drought has forced many people to migrate closer to the borders and next to insecurity prone regions.”

He noted that most affected are school children who are forced to drop out of school to accompany their parents in search of water and pasture for their livestock.

“The government should intervene before this situation runs out of control by disbursing funds meant for school feeding program to assist in retaining pupils,” the MCA said.

Stephen Edukon, the MCA for Turkwell urged concerned authorities and humanitarian bodies to act with speed to mitigate the drought situation in the region.

The situation has seen families migrate from rural to urban settings to fend for better living since rural areas have been affected by food shortage.