I took the featured image around this time last year in the Garissa district in northeastern Kenya, but it represents the northern two-thirds of the country.
The situation is worse in Somalia and South Sudan, but also in Kenya, over 4 million people are currently in humanitarian need due to the drought.
Here is an excerpt from the attached file:
The drought situation in Kenya continues to worsen in twenty (20) of the 23 Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) counties. This is attributed to the four successive failed rains seasons. The number of people in need of humanitarian assistance currently stands at 4.35 million based on 2022 long rains food and nutritional security assessment report.
Eleven (11) namely counties; Garissa, Isiolo, Kajiado, Kitui, Mandera, Marsabit, Laikipia, Samburu, Tana River, Turkana, Wajir, are in '‘alarm Drought Phare’' while Nine (9) counties including Embu, Kilifi, Kwale, Makueni, Meru, Narok, Nyeri, Tharaka Nithi and Taita Taveta are in the '‘Alearns Drought Phare’. The remaining three (3) counties including Baringo, West Pokot and Lamu are in the '‘Normal Drought Phare’.
Acute malnutrition has also been noted across the counties with 942,000 cases of children aged 6-59 months acutely malnourished and 134,000 cases of pregnant or lactating women acutely malnourished in need of treatment. On Saturday, November 5, 2022, President Dr. William Samoei Ruto launched the nationwide distribution of food to the affected communities whereby he noted that: “We have not witnessed a drought situation like this in our country for the last 40 years. We ask for support from our development partners and other non-state actors in containing the situation.”
We are currently exploring what we can do as an organization and as individuals. The fact is, our help is just a drop in the ocean. But we serve a God who can truly help. Please pray with us for rain for the land and food for the hungry.
