The Kenyan National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) on Sunday said the number of people suffering from food insecurity in Kenya is expected to reach 4.35 million by October, up from the current 4.1 million, due to worsening drought conditions in many parts of the country, reported The CGTN Africa.
According to the drought management agency, 23 counties mainly in the arid and semi-arid regions are facing severe dry spell that has worsened hunger, malnutrition and water stress.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the NDMA said the deteriorating food situation is attributed to the fourth consecutive failed rainy season alongside the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war, desert locust infestation, and Covid-19 pandemic.
According to Hared Hassan Adan, the Chief Executive Officer of NDMA, in August alone, 95 per cent of arid and semi-arid lands will be severely dry, exposing herders and subsistence farmers to ravages of hunger and malnutrition.
Hassan said livestock mortalities have increased in Kenya’s dry northern frontier region due to lack of pasture and water. He added that the coastal strip has not been spared by widespread drought.
According to data collected by the Kenyan agency, more than 884,400 children aged six to 59 months are acutely malnourished while 115,725 pregnant or lactating mothers have also suffered from an acute form of malnutrition in the arid counties.
The hunger crisis in the semi-arid region has worsened due to declining milk production and a spike in the cost of cereals. As per the weather forecast, the projected insufficient October-December short rains might not offer a respite.
Hassan said the Kenyan government has resorted to livestock offtake, water tracking, provision of livestock feeds, supplementary diet to families, and cash transfer in order to mitigate against the severe impacts of drought in the arid outposts.
He added that the government with support from multilateral agencies and local charity groups has contributed an estimated 10 billion shillings (83.50 million U.S. dollars) to boost drought response in the affected counties.
