Browsing: Droughts in Kenya

Immediate action is needed to respond to the severe drought that is ravaging communities in Kenya’s dry regions – categorized as Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL).

This is according to the UN’s humanitarian affairs office (OCHA) which said that two and half million people are already experiencing deep food insecurity after two back-to-back rainy seasons failed.

By November, it will have nearly tripled since the same time last year, the organization warned.

“People in the ASAL region are facing a dire situation”, said Stephen Jackson, UN Resident Coordinator for Kenya, as he launched the humanitarian Flash Appeal for the Kenya Drought response.

Speaking from Nairobi Jackson said people in Wajir, Northern Kenya, had not seen rain for over a year. Acute malnutrition rates are rising rapidly, posing an imminent risk to children and pregnant and lactating women.

Lives ‘upended’ 

He described how a mother at the El-Nur Clinic supported by …