Declare drought a national disaster, NEP leaders urge government
The drought has devastated the lives of pastoralist families, who rely almost entirely on livestock as their economic mainstay.
Leaders from the North Eastern region have called on the government to declare the ongoing drought a national disaster.
The declaration, the leaders said, will open up access for immediate assistance and facilitate resources to support affected communities.
Addressing the media in Nairobi, the leaders warned that the drought has reached alarming levels, pointing out that hundreds of livestock have already died while water sources continue to dry up and pasture disappears.
The drought has devastated the lives of pastoralist families, who rely almost entirely on livestock as their economic mainstay.
The situation has been precipitated by the failure of the short rains, which has seen many areas across Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, Isiolo, and Marsabit go for months without rains.
“Declaring the drought a national disaster is the only way donors and humanitarian agencies can come in to support vulnerable communities,” said Eldas MP Aden Keynan.
The legislator also urged the government to appeal for international assistance to help mitigate the effects of the drought.
His sentiments were echoed by Wajir South MP Mohammed Adow, who painted a grim picture of the situation, which he said continues to worsen. “Mandera has already reported one death due to starvation, we are going to see the multiplication of this situation if we do not act now and first,” he said as he urged the government to move swiftly to cushion the people from further suffering.
The leaders raised concerns that vulnerable women and children are the most affected, while many families are struggling to find food and water.
In Mandera, the County Governor Mohamed Adan Khalif issued a stern warning that the drought gripping the county has escalated to a crisis level.
He sent an urgent appeal to the national government and development partners to urgently scale up support as the county faces a worsening drought crisis. “We call on the national government, NGOs, humanitarian agencies, development partners, and the private sector to scale up support to protect lives and livelihoods,” said Governor Khalif.
“Without immediate support, vulnerable families risk sliding into life-threatening conditions,” he added.
The governor urged residents to continue praying for rain as he expressed optimism that divine intervention will ease the problem.
As a mitigation measure, the governor said his administration is initiating the drilling of 21 emergency boreholes to provide water to residents.
The effects of the drought extend beyond water scarcity. Residents have been forced to trek to neighbouring Ethiopia, Wajir, Garissa and as far as Tana River County, together with their livestock, in search of pasture and water.
According to recent assessments conducted by the Department of Water Services in collaboration with NDMA and DRM units, more than 95% of surface water sources in Mandera have completely dried up, forcing residents to rely on emergency measures.