NAIROBI, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- In the scorching sun, Kenyan herder Laikutong sits in the shade of a tree, helplessly looking at two cows that are nibbling on dead branches, waiting for their deaths. Due to their weakness, the two cows were unable to move forward on the way to the drinking point, and Raikuton himself had not eaten for 3 days.
Mazabit County, where Raikuton is located, is one of the driest regions in Kenya. According to Kenya's National Drought Authority, half of The Population of Masabit (about 220,000 people) is in short supply of food, while more than 4 million people across the country face food security.
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Livelihoods are difficult
In northern Kenya, where Masabit County is located, residents mostly herd their cattle for a living, while drought has caused a large number of livestock to die, making it difficult for them to make ends meet.
A large drinking water point in the County's Lesamis region is a source of water for some 1,000 herders and tens of thousands of livestock in the area. Large herds of cattle and sheep flocked here from all sides, and herders continued to use long sticks to drive livestock to maintain order.
"We had 70 cows before, 50 of them have died, and we've been here for three days." A herdsman told reporters. In order to keep their livestock alive, herders travel long distances, eat and sleep in search of pasture, and have to return to drinking water every 3 to 5 days.
A herd of cattle drinks water at a drinking point in the drought-stricken town of Lesamis in Masabit County, Kenya, on August 27. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Dong Jianghui
Drought has also led to food failures or even crop failures, and the Kenya Food Security Steering Group in July assessed that some agricultural areas in southeastern Kenya may have seen their annual maize harvests this year cut by nearly 80 percent from their nearly five-year averages.
In addition, Kenya is experiencing sharp price increases due to multiple factors such as socio-economic instability, the Ukraine crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic, with high staple prices further weakening household purchasing power.
Recent data from Kenya's National Drought Administration shows that about 4.1 million people in Kenya are currently facing food security issues due to the lack of expected rainfall in the previous four rainy seasons; Precipitation is expected to remain below average in October 2022, starting with the next short rainy season, when the number of people in need of assistance in Kenya will increase to 4.35 million.
Children are in a bad situation
Adam Mblu is the principal of Silapani Primary School in Masabit, which currently has less than 50% student attendance. He said most students need to walk at least 5 kilometers to school, which is not easy for hungry children.
Ntamatyn Hoyan, a parent of a student at the school, told reporters that most of the children in the village eat a meal a day, and although her son wants to go to school every day, the 10-kilometer round trip worries her: "The school does not provide food, and sometimes there is no food at home, so you can only ask the neighbors for some porridge to take." ”
"The impact of drought on children's education is very large, especially for some girls, who have to help their mothers fetch water from water points a few kilometres away." Mustafa Parcolo, regional coordinator of Kenya's National Drought Administration, said.
Children attend school in the drought-stricken town of Lesamis in Masabit County, Kenya, on August 26. Affected by the drought, half of the school's students are unable to attend school. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Dong Jianghui
The Kenyan government, through the National Drought Authority, provides food assistance to 183 schools in Masabit and subsidizes $55 per household in cash every two months. For some extremely poor families, however, these assistance is far from enough to reverse the poor living conditions. According to recent statistics from the Bureau, there are nearly 900,000 cases of acute malnutrition among children caused by drought in Kenya.
Drought swept through the Horn of Africa
According to a recent statement released by the East African Intergovernmental Development Organization, the rainy season in the Horn of Africa region from October to December this year is also not expected to have sufficient precipitation, which means that there will be insufficient precipitation for five consecutive rainy seasons.
For some areas that have long been trapped in poverty, the disaster caused by drought is undoubtedly worse. MORE THAN 20 million people, including 10 million children, are facing serious food security problems in Somalia, northern Kenya and southern and eastern Ethiopia, UNICEF said.
A child in an arid village in the town of Lesamis, Masabit County, Kenya, on 26 August. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Dong Jianghui
According to UNICEF, the Horn of Africa is suffering from the worst drought in 40 years, with crop failures and even crop failures, massive livestock deaths, thousands of people having to flee their homes and rising risks of malnutrition and disease. UNICEF called for humanitarian assistance to people suffering from drought. (Reporters: Ruth, Eric; Editors: Xu Xiaolei, Wang Yujue, Lu Yu, Cheng Dayu)
Produced by the International Department of Xinhua News Agency
Produced by Xinhua News Agency's International Communication Integration Platform