KILIFI, Kenya, Oct 16- There is a looming humanitarian crisis in four Counties in the Coast region, just like in parts of Norhtern Kenya. In Ganze area of Kilifi County, drought has struck, leaving residents thirsty and hungry.
For many, there is limited option other than waiting for a good Samaritan, whether in the name of a politician or not, to give them food.
But as witnessed by Shahidi News, there are those now turning only their remaining hope- the livestock, which is equally affected by the ongoing drought due to lack of pasture.
Ganze residents used their cows to fetch water, but they are now too weak for that. Many livestock have died, despite an initiative by the government to acquire them for meat.
As established by Shahidi News, areas worst hit by drought within the coastal county include Mryachakwe, Mitsedzini, Ngite, Mafingoni, Migodomani, Katsungini among others.
In some areas, homes are surrounded by animal carcasses, that have been left for wild animals and birds to feed. The stench coming out of the dead animals is unbearable.
At Thithima village in Mryachakwe, the Shahidi News team witnessed a family that slaughtered a cow, that was about to die.
The family then spread the meat in the sun, for it to dry, as a means of conserving it for more days.
“We are suffering and we feel like the end is here,” Karisa Muhambi said during an interview with Shahidi News.
He is a resident of Thithima village.
“I have lost 8 cows to this drought. The last of the 8 died this morning,” an emotional Muhambi said. “We are drying the meat so that it becomes a meal later.”
His appeal is for the government to give them food and pasture for their livestock.
So far, the village has received three kilos per household from the relief food given by the government. They have also been given beans and maize.
“Many children are no longer going to school. Like in my family, we have 15 who cannot go due to the drought,” he said.
Others like Kazungu Kenga from Mafingoni village have lost more livestock- the only treasure they have in the world.
Kenga has been using his emaciated cows to fetch water for a distance of 15 kilometers in a neighbouring village called Ngite.
“My cattle are dying…I am not sure if the remaining ones will survive,” he said.
While he wanted to sell his 26 cows, it has not been possible. The closest he got was when he was offered Sh1,500 per cow by a local businessman.
“Why can’t the government drill water for us?” he wondered.
A similar fate has befallen Naomi Kaingu from Ngite village. She has lost 11 cows and now has two remaining…yet them too are in a dire state.
“We have no food, while water is also a major problem,” she told Shahidi News.
According to the Kenya Red Cross Society Coast regional Manager, Hassan Musa, four out of the 6 coastal counties have been highly affected by the drought.
Other than Kilifi, he said most residents of Lamu, Kwale, and Tana River are in dire need of help.
In Tana River, 107,000 people are affected, 145,000 in Kilifi, 135,000 in Kwale, and 20,000 in Lamu.
So far, 6, 500 cows have died in Kilifi and over 4000 others died in Tana River County.
“We are also experiencing a huge number of deaths in Lamu, most of the cows we lost belong to pastoralists from Garissa and North Eastern who are looking for pasture,” he said, warning that the situation was deteriorating.
The Kenya Red Cross has so far identified 7,500 households in Kilifi to be put on a cash transfer programme. They will get Sh. 5500 for the next two months.
In Tana River, he said 500 households will get relief food.
On September 8, 2021, President Uhuru Kenyatta declared drought in parts of Kenya a national disaster.
Crop and livestock production has been undermined by below-average rain seasons in affected areas with failures of both the 2020 short rains (Oct-Dec) and the 2021 long rains (March-May) in some counties.
Affected households have experienced a series of shocks in recent years in addition to drought conditions, including a desert locust invasion and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Reduced household income to purchase non-food items and lack of water for handwashing also undermined efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and crowding near water sources increases the risk of COVID19 community transmission.
According to the International Rescue Committee, there are growing humanitarian needs following months of droughts in parts of the country.
Due to the poor rainfall and low crop production, 2.1 million Kenyans are facing acute food insecurity in the next 6 months.
Lamu, Turkana, Marsabit, Samburu, Isiolo, Wajir, Garissa, Tana River, Kilifi, and Taita Taveta counties received amounts that were as little as 26 percent of normal rainfall.
Turkana and Garissa are both refugee-hosting counties which put the already vulnerable refugee population at further risk given the planned closure of the camps in May 2022.
Climate change has been identified as the main driver of the erratic and recurring droughts and has been partly attributed to the recent locust outbreaks in East Africa, causing widespread food insecurity.
Climate change also contributes to poor health outcomes.
Rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns are likely to exacerbate the spread of vector-borne diseases such as dengue and malaria.
Lack of access to clean water will lead to higher incidences of diarrhea, a major cause of death for children under 5.
Coupled with the destruction of fragile ecosystems, the changing climate has a profound impact on the occurrence of viruses like COVID-19 that emerge from animals.
“We must prepare for future climate emergencies, with communities given financial support and decision-making power. Local leaders (particularly indigenous populations), smallholder farmers, and livestock herders already have the knowledge and experience necessary to confront this crisis,” IRC has said.
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