Kenya’s East Africa Community, Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) Cabinet Secretary warned on Wednesday that the drought is worsening and that over 4 million people want food assistance.
Rebecca Miano stated during a press conference that 22 of the 23 ASAL counties are still under critical drought.
“The period during which short showers were forecast ended up registering poor rainfall right across most of the ASALs, this represented the fifth consecutive failed rain season,” she said, adding that according to latest estimates, at least 4.35 million Kenyans require immediate food assistance.
“We are organising a multi-agency evaluation to determine the impact of the 2023 short-rains season on food security,” she added. This will influence the magnitude of involvement.”
According to the government, significant cases of child malnutrition have been reported in the majority of the affected areas in Kenya.
According to National Disaster Management Authority studies, an additional 1.6 million kids face a high risk of dropping out if the hunger crisis intensifies this year.
She noted that goats and cattle in damaged areas varied in condition from fair to poor due to the substantial travel required to find water and pasture.
Communities in the Horn of Africa, particularly in Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia, are experiencing their fifth consecutive dry season, preparing for the worst drought in decades. Over 36 million people are affected across the three countries.