Garissa County Residents Face Drought Starvation

The ongoing drought in North Eastern part of Kenya is currently at crisis level and the situation may deteriorate to emergency with about 45 per cent of the population have been affected which translates to 378,000 people.

According to the Red Cross Garissa county coordinator Mohammed Durbo the number of those affected by the humanitarian crisis is devastating and likely to increase in the coming months with the projected failure of the October to December rains.

Pastoralists in the area have lost hundreds to about 90 per cent of livestocks due to lack of pasture and water in the area for the past one year. The residents have called for efforts from the government, development partners and other relevant agencies doing relief and drought related activities in the county to alleviate this suffering.

“If these rains fails in the October to December, that means a total population of 420, 000 people will be affected. That forms half of the total population of Garissa County and it really needs a serious interventions.” Durbo said.

To aid in calming of starvation the Kenya Red Cross has been engaging in an Intergrated Drought Management Programme which is composed of cash transfers but even that has not been enough.