DroughtAgain:TheHumanitarianCrisisI nKenyaDroughtAgain:TheHumanitaria nCrisisInKenyaDroughtAgain:TheHum anitarianCrisisInKenyaDroughtAgain: TheHumanitarianCrisisInKenyaDroug htAgain:TheHumanitarianCrisisInKen yaDroughtAgain:TheHumanitarianCris isInKenyaDroughtAgain:TheHumanita rianCrisisInKenyaDroughtAgain:TheH umanitarianCrisisInKenyaDroughtAga in:TheHumanitarianCrisisInKenyaDro ughtAgain:TheHumanitarianCrisisInK enyaDroughtAgain:TheHumanitarianC risisInKenyaDroughtAgain:TheHuman itarianCrisisInKenyaDroughtAgain:Th eHumanitarianCrisisInKenyaDroughtA DROUGHT AGAIN… The Humanitarian Crisis in Kenya October 2009 Prepared by: The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Kenya (UN‐OCHA) Kenya
Health and Nutrition ............................................................................................................................... 18
Water and Sanitation .............................................................................................................................. 18
Livestock and crop production ................................................................................................................ 19
Water and Sanitation .............................................................................................................................. 20
Health and Nutrition ............................................................................................................................... 20
Health and Nutrition ............................................................................................................................... 21
Water ...................................................................................................................................................... 22
Water scarcity ......................................................................................................................................... 24
Health ...................................................................................................................................................... 26
Food Security in the Grain Basket ........................................................................................................ 27 The Grain Basket Assessment ................................................................................................................. 27
Performance of 2009 Long Rains & impact on Crop production ........................................................ 27
Impact of delayed/poor rains ............................................................................................................. 29
Factors affecting crop production ........................................................................................................... 29
Drought and its effects on vulnerable groups - Affected Populations .................................................. 30 1. Pastoralists ...................................................................................................................................... 31
2. Women and Children ...................................................................................................................... 32
6. The Youth ........................................................................................................................................ 35
CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................................... 37 Common issues ....................................................................................................................................... 37
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .................................................................................................................... 40 OCHA KENYA CONTACTS .............................................................................................................. 40
4 UNOCHA Kenya http://ochaonline.un.org/kenya
ACRONYMS/GLOSSARY ASALs Arid and Semi-arid Lands ALRMP Arid Lands Resource Management Project CAADP Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme CBPP Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia CFR Case Fatality Rate CHAP Common Humanitarian Action Plan COMESA Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa CRC Crisis Response Centre CP Contingency Plan DMC Disaster Management Committee DPC District Peace Committee DSG District Steering Group EHRP Emergency Humanitarian Response Plan EMOP Emergency Operations Programme ERF Emergency Response Plan EWB Early Warning Bulletins FAO Food and Agriculture Organization (United Nations) F &MD Foot and Mouth Disease GDP Gross Domestic Product GAM Global Acute Malnutrition GoK Government of Kenya HIV/AIDS Human Immunodeficiency Virus/ Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome IASC CT Inter-Agency Standing Committee Country Team IDPs Internally Displaced Persons IRIN Integrated Regional Information Networks (United Nations) Jua-Kali Small businesses KBS Kenya Bureau of Statistics KIPPRA Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis KFSSG Kenya Food Security Steering Group KRCS Kenya Red Cross Society KMC Kenya Meat Commission KMD Kenya Meteorological Department LRA Long Rains Assessment MoLD Ministry of Livestock Development MoA Ministry of Agriculture MoH Ministry of Health MOYA/NYP Ministry of Youth Affairs/ National Youth Policy MSF Medicins San Frontier NGOs Non-Governmental Organizations UNAIDS United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNEP United Nations Environment Programme UNDSS United Nations Department of Safety and Security UNHABITAT United Nations Human Settlements Programme UNHCR United Nations High Commission for Refugees UNICEF United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund OCHA Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (United Nations) PPR Peste de Petites Ruminant RVF Rift Valley Fever SRA Short Rains Assessment SAM Severe Acute Malnutrition WASH Water Sanitation and Hygiene WFP World Food Programme (United Nations) WHO World Health Organization (United Nations)
5 UNOCHA Kenya http://ochaonline.un.org/kenya
Background For most of 2008, the global food crisis seemed to have by-passed Kenya. The country was already reeling from the internal upheaval of post-election violence and displacement but populations were at least shielded from the worst effects of food price rises mainly due to two consecutive bumper harvests. The strategic grain reserves were full and for months it seemed that the country would be spared the additional shocks that characterized the global crisis.
By late 2008 though, spiraling food, fuel and commodity prices spurred food insecurity in the country that was still caught up in political instability and with a fragile coalition government. There was limited analysis and poor understanding of the compounding effects of natural hazards being overlaid on grinding poverty and intersecting with widespread economic downturn. An emergency was declared on January 16th, 2009 citing the failed short rains and post-elections displacement as main drivers of the crisis. The response, likewise, was the well-known and well understood food aid: beneficiaries of WFP’s EMOP doubled nearly overnight from 1.3 million to 2.6 million people. Meanwhile, official requests for assistance targeted a much higher figure where the numbers considered to be facing famine were placed as high as 10 million. The analysis of various assessments almost immediately began pointing to a convergence of causal factors, a multiplicity of shocks and the dire possibility that the drought was actually set to get much, much worse.
Despite historical and climatic evidence to the contrary, much hope was placed on the long rains of 2009 and for the harvest that would be realized as a result. The answer, it seemed, lay in boosting food production and it was felt that with a massive injection of inputs in the agricultural sector, strategic loans to shore up the currency and to buffer the worst effects of the economic downturn, things would get better. The management of the Strategic Grain Reserve was reviewed and market interventions and trade restrictions on maize were removed or reduced. But things continued to worsen as caseloads of malnourished children doubled, then tripled; rates of global and severe acute malnutrition climbed steadily. Unseasonal disease outbreaks, water scarcities and resource based conflicts spiraled. Instability in neighbouring Somalia sent more than 50,000 people fleeing into Kenya worsening the congestion in the already overcrowded refugee camps in Dadaab. Young people also fled the scarcities and lack of employment in the rural areas to even more precarious conditions in the cities. Urban vulnerability, always poorly understood and historically a no-go zone for humanitarian action- escalated. The initial situation of unavailable food was compounded by unaffordable food and lost livelihoods. The consequences were predictable and humanitarian indicators in the cities rivaled, and in some cases topped, those in the arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs). Also predictable were the coping strategies employed: rationing meals, cutbacks in health care and education.
And then the rains failed…again. With the exception of coastal lowlands, rainfall in March-June was depressed in nearly all areas. Delayed onset also affected crops at critical growing periods. Maize stalks were seen withering due to late rains while in other cases, heavy rainfall late in the growth stage caused the rotting of the cobs.
6 UNOCHA Kenya http://ochaonline.un.org/kenya
The Humanitarian Situation in 2009 The current emergency is not new nor is it just a sudden peak of a chronic situation. The deterioration of the humanitarian situation could have been foreseen in the ASALs and perhaps even in the cities. The number of malnourished children is at unprecedented high levels and not just in the well known ‘typical’ regions but in new parts of the country where capacities have not traditionally existed or been strengthened. In Kajiado, a health center that serves a 50 km radius is trying to manage a caseload of over 200 malnourished children; the most qualified staff member is a nurse. In Mwingi, Makueni, Kitui, the situation is similar and nutritional partners are not always fully operational. The cholera outbreak in Moyale necessitated the establishment of an emergency field hospital by MSF-Belgium; the district hospital had neither the staff nor the resources to fully address the outbreak and the doctor there served populations on both Kenya and Ethiopia sides of the border. Water trucking is going into northern Kenya but also in Nairobi while school feeding is thought by some to be the main factor keeping up school attendance rates. Pastoralists have lost their livelihoods and so have marginal farmers, industrial casual laborers, and coffee and tea plantation workers. The tourism sector, Kenya’s mainstay industry representing a third of GDP is also in crisis.
Rainfall performance: Long Rains
March- May 2009 June-Aug 2009
Depressed Depressed
Figure 1: Rainfall performance during the long rains season 2009 Source: KMD
7 UNOCHA Kenya http://ochaonline.un.org/kenya
Surface water levels reduced precariously; the Masinga complex of dams dried up for the first time in more than half a century knocking out a major source of hydroelectric power generation for Nairobi and its industries. Power and water are being rationed in the city for several months now and water tankering in Nairobi is common. This of course affects industrial production and has a less visible impact on the thousands of small businesses, the so-called ‘Jua-Kali’ sector, main livelihoods for the urban poor. Unemployment rates are still rising and alternative sources of income are drying up. According to UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS), crime rates in the cities are on the increase as well.
Drought Progression OCHA’s analysis into the drought progression between June and September this year shows a steady deterioration of the situation in the country. Areas that issued early warning signals of drought alert in June steadily deteriorated from Alert-Alarm- Emergency levels in three months (e.g. Turkana). Whilst the long rains were received, they were deficient and with the late on-set, the aggregate average received was way below normal hence the deterioration of the drought conditions e.g Narok district in South-western Kenya deteriorates from alert to emergency levels between June and September. Environmental and livelihood gauges started to fluctuate outside normal ranges with implications of high livestock mobility and mortality associated with starvation and dehydration, reduced livestock market prices, increased inter-clan conflicts over water and prolonged migrations. Local production systems were collapsing as well as the dominant economy (livestock dependant) within districts. The purchasing power of the population was affected prompting scale-up of food relief operations.
DROUGHT STAGES PROGRESSION IN KENYAJUNE 2009 - SEPTEMBER 2009
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Map data source(s):International boundary is from DEPHA 2002Provincial boundary is from DEPHA 2004Lakes data is from DEPHA 2004Drought stages are derived from June - September2009 Drought Monthly Bulletin, Ministry of State for theDevelopment of Northern Kenya and other Arid Landshttp://www.aridland.go.ke/bullentins/2009/
Disclaimers:The designations employed on this map do not implythe expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part ofthe Secretariat of the United Nations concerning thelegal status of any country, territory, or concerning thedelimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
0 100 200 30050 kms
Creation Date: 29 October 2009Web Resources: http://ochaonline.un.org/kenya
The crops failed too and not just in the marginal farming areas that are heavily dependent on rainfall but also in the high potential grain basket areas in Kenya’s highlands and the lake basin. Maize harvests are
expected to be only 20-30% of the long-term average representing bumper losses. Expected maize outputs for the 2009 harvest have been revised downwards from 2.34 to 1.84 million bags, 28% below normal. Short cycle crops which could mitigate the impact of these losses have not been planted in sufficient quantity to do so and food insecurity is being felt even in the high potential areas. Reeling from the run of bad luck and poor harvests, farmers once more face limited resources to bounce off their losses or plant
alternative crops while FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture lack funding to assist with inputs so soon after the previous injects in March-May this year.
The government’s normal planning processes initially underestimated the escalating crisis when the budget was being prepared in May. By early August, cabinet tried to address this situation by amending the budget and reallocating some 34 billion KSH ($440 million) to emergency response to the drought. The emergency package focuses heavily on the ASAL areas and on the emergency provision of water through drilling new boreholes and water tankering, on livestock off take to shore up livelihoods and, to a lesser extent, on the provision of food aid. The government has made a contribution to WFP’s EMOP of 38,000 metric tons of assorted food commodities but with the increased beneficiary numbers, even this contribution may not be enough to avert pipeline shortfalls by December, while key sectoral needs in health and nutrition are not addressed by the intervention.
The sectoral response to high rates of malnutrition and to supplementary and therapeutic feeding programmes has been largely left to the international humanitarian partners led by UNICEF. The greatest challenge is the lack of capacity in many of the hardest hit areas of the country, even among aid agencies but particularly in the hospitals and health centres. The nutritional sector is desperately seeking partners to go to areas like Mbeere District where health centres are under-staffed and poorly resourced, ill equipped to deal with the daunting caseloads of malnourished children. In other districts like Mandera where GAM rates top 30%, access becomes the biggest challenge since this is a no-go zone for international workers due to insecurity (in July, 3 aid workers were kidnapped from Mandera and taken into Somalia where they remain in captivity today). But even where nutritional programmes are in place and functional, limitations on the general food distribution, probably the most important complement to therapeutic and supplementary feeding programmes, restrict their impact and effectiveness. In times of scarcity, entire families may share supplementary food rations meant for the malnourished who then continue to lag behind in nutritional status.
Comparison of a farmer’s crop in 2008/2009 in Molo
The maize is half the size as the same time last year and potatoes are stunted in their growth as well
10 UNOCHA Kenya http://ochaonline.un.org/kenya
Figure 2: Areas in Acute Food and Livelihood Crisis & at risk of Humanitarian Emergency
Poor sanitation and frequent disease outbreaks pose additional challenges. In February, there was an unseasonal cholera outbreak in Moyale and Isiolo, areas not traditionally at risk at that time. Although some health workers attribute the origin of the outbreak to Ethiopia, it wasn’t long before many other districts in Kenya were combating the disease. 1More than 8,000 persons were affected with a CFR of 2.2%, substantially higher than WHO emergency thresholds. Measles, normally a disease of small children, has broken out among the refugees in the crowded Dadaab camps, manifesting in children older than 5 years and in adults, a population group for whom vaccination is not a primary option. Kala Azar, another endemic disease has spread in more than 17 districts in the country.
The emergency response for drought has been underway since early in the year with the initial scale up of EMOP beneficiaries and ramping up of nutritional programming. FAO has worked with the Government and other partners in the sector to carry out a large-scale distribution of seeds, tools, and fertilizers earlier, a response negated by the poor rains. All of the non-food sectors are plagued by a lack of funding and consequent inability to respond early enough to the early warnings being issued. Drought monitoring maps indicate the severity and location of the drought epicenters; the long rains assessment has highlighted the dire situation for food insecurity while nutritional surveillance points to deteriorating nutritional status around the country. Studies on urban vulnerability by OXFAM, CARE and CONCERN as well as those commissioned by the Kenya Food Security Steering Group (KFSSG) give a gloomy picture of the situation in the slum areas of Kisumu, Mombasa and Nairobi.
1 WHO Kenya
11 UNOCHA Kenya http://ochaonline.un.org/kenya
The El Nino phenomenon Things are set to get worse before they get better. The KMD is highlighting the oceanic temperature anomalies that presage an El Nino event and has attributed a probability of enhanced rainfall at 80% for eastern and western belts of the country; the central zone can expect a 75% chance of enhanced rainfall. Using trend analysis and historical evidence, it seems likely that the country will undergo a moderate El Nino event from October 2009 to January 2010 with severe consequences for flooding and mudslides but with possibly good impacts on crop production. Previous El Nino cycles in 1997/98 (severe) and 2006/07
(moderate) marooned thousands, displaced thousands more and caused several hundred deaths. Roads were cut off and parts of northeastern Kenya were inaccessible except by air for weeks on end. Humanitarian aid supplies to the Dadaab refugee camps, to affected populations in Wajir and Mandera and even to Somalia were halted. The flood waters proved a breeding ground for mosquitoes and cases of malaria and other infectious diseases soared. By early 1998 and 2007 respectively, outbreaks of RVF claimed dozens of lives.
Figure 3: Rainfall predictions for the short rains season Oct-Dec 2009
Floods & Mudslides and Disease Outbreaks Heavy rains yearly lead to flooding & mudslides which increasingly contribute to the destruction of life, property and sources of livelihood in the Western districts- Bundalangi and Kakamega, in the Rift Valley, Central parts of Kenya, the Coast, and Northeastern Kenya- Mandera, Wajir, Garissa and Tana River districts. On 26 October, floods in El Wak division in Mandera district (Northeastern Kenya), left 1800 persons displaced to three schools, 500 shallow wells contaminated by human waste, 500 latrines submerged, and school furniture destroyed by IDPs using it for firewood.
OND2009 PROVINCIAL RAINFALL ANOMALY FORECAST
12 UNOCHA Kenya http://ochaonline.un.org/kenya
The effects of El Nino or enhanced rainfall- triggered landslides have a history in Kenya, with enormous destructive effects. 2Kenya experienced extraordinarily heavy rainfall between May 1997 and February
1998 due to the El-Nino weather phenomenon. This caused massive destruction to human life, fertile farmlands, roads, railway lines, bridges, telephone and power lines which were relocated and destroyed. In November, 2008 3 fourteen, 14 people died in massive landslides in West Pokot District of western Kenya as rains pounded central and western parts of the country. The victims, mostly school children, were caught unawares at night as their houses were swept by mudslides in Cheptulel village.”
Waterborne diseases such as diarrhea and cholera increase when floods occur. WHO has reported cases of cholera re-emerging in northern districts where drought has hit hard, and is concerned that heavy rains will further compromise sanitation and worsen Cholera & Rift Valley Fever outbreak. Cholera has re-emerged in 12 districts in the past month (October) with Turkana, in northern Kenya reporting 603 hospital cases and 29 deaths in just a month. WHO says nationwide, 8,363 cases, 72 deaths with CFR of 2.0 % have been reported; of these 4,136 cases and 50 deaths have been reported only in october. The onset of the rains will only worsen the cholera outbreak.
El Nino Contingency Planning Humanitarian partners under the leadership of the GoK have carried out inter-agency contingency planning exercises in September and October. Already, WFP, CARE, the KRCS and other agencies have pre-positioned emergency stocks. It is hoped that ‘early’ action by the government’s Department of Defense and the National Youth Service will respond to access and logistic issues by pre-placement of bailey bridges, repairs of dams and sourcing rescue vessels. Early warning systems which have been tested in flood-prone Western Kenya may be expanded to other areas and OCHA’s new field coordination mechanism based on strengthened partnerships with local actors is facilitating preparedness and communications.
OCHA together with the Crisis Response Centre (CRC) have scaled up flood preparedness by taking stock of the level of preparedness in the national and field level contingency plans to address gaps in humanitarian response and community preparedness when floods occur. CRC and OCHA teams have supported district governments in preparedness efforts through field visits and convening of special District Steering Group (DSG) or Disaster Management Committee (DMC) meetings to enhance preparedness. Government Ministries, UN agencies and NGO partners have been engaged at national and field level to address most likely issues that affect humanitarian response when floods occur, pre-position emergency stocks (food, non-food items, and medical supplies) in safe havens of flood & mudslide prone areas. An estimated 750 000 persons may be affected by floods and landslides.
For more information on El Nino/Flood preparedness at national and field level, visit http://tinyurl.com/meeting-presentations
2 Environmental Geology: The El Nino Triggered landslides and their socio-economic impact on Kenya 3 Afrik.com, 9 November 2008
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FLOOD PRONE AREAS AND POTENTIAL ROAD BLOCKS
Map data source(s):Roads: Communication Commission of Kenya2006Rivers: DEPHA 2006Admin boundaries: DEPHA 2006Road bottle neck areas: WFP 2007Flood prone areas data is from fewsnet 2006 andother sources
Disclaimers:The designations employed and the presentationof material on this map do not imply theexpression of any opinion whatsoever on the partof the Secretariat of the United Nations.
0 40 80 12020 Kms
Map Doc Name:
Creation Date:Projection/Datum:Web Resources:Nominal Scale at A4 paper size:
NOTE:Flood prone areas shown on the map are generalised fromfewsnet 2006 flood polygons data and from common knowledge.
14 UNOCHA Kenya http://ochaonline.un.org/kenya
Financial Resources Resources are scarce despite Kenya having received in 2009 the highest amount of humanitarian funding ever, topping $380 million with a further $10 million pledged. Some 88% of humanitarian funds coming into Kenya are sourced through the Emergency Humanitarian Response Plan. The funds that have been received however represent only about half of requirements which have been ratcheted upwards once more after the Long Rains Assessment in August. Food aid beneficiaries have increased from 1.3 million to 2.6 million to 3.8 million in 2009 alone and WFP is appealing for an additional $260 million to be able to meet these scaled up needs through February 2010. Funding gaps for the non-food sectors limit the drought response to food and nutrition interventions, again challenging the potential impact. FAO lacks resources to carry out another emergency distribution of agricultural inputs while other non-food sectors like WASH, health, education and even coordination have less than half the funds needed. Programming for drought related interventions is critically underfunded, with most sectors having received less than half of requirements (see figure 4 below). Coordination, including resourcing the OCHA office and the Emergency Response Fund, has received only 31% of requirements.
The ERF, arguably one of the more efficient tools to facilitate rapid response to needs spread over large geographic areas and over multiple sectors and agencies, has exhausted its donation received from the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA). Pledged funds are still awaited.
The right operations have been planned and the right priorities set by all actors- the Government of Kenya, aid agencies and the UN. The lack of resources is however curtailing an effective response. And needs are increasing daily.
15 UNOCHA Kenya http://ochaonline.un.org/kenya
Figure 4: Funding Requirements October 2009
16 UNOCHA Kenya http://ochaonline.un.org/kenya
Geographic Focus by Livelihood
Clusters
17 UNOCHA Kenya http://ochaonline.un.org/kenya
Northern Pastoral Cluster
The cluster comprises of Turkana, Moyale, Marsabit and Samburu districts with a population of 908, 745 people. The predominant livelihood is pastoralism with communities rearing mixed herds that include cattle, sheep, goats, camels, donkeys and poultry. The cluster also has pockets of agro-pastoral zones producing maize, beans, sorghum, wheat and fruits. The main shock experienced in the cluster is the failure of the long rains that has largely contributed to crop failure and lack of pasture and browse4.
Livestock and crop production The late onset of the 2009 long rains combined with low amounts, early cessation and poor distribution had a negative impact on crop production. This resulted in near total crop failure in agro-pastoral livelihood of Marsabit and Moyale and a marked decline in expected yield by up to 80 per cent of normal.
The cumulative effect of low rainfall rains has also resulted in water stress and the depletion of pasture as highlighted earlier. This triggered migration of 60-90 per cent of livestock towards pockets with pastures in Samburu North, Marsabit, Turkana and as far as Ethiopia. The continuation of drought conditions in the district influenced an upward trend in price commodities. Ironically livestock market prices have seen a downward trend due to deteriorated conditions of bodies because of lack of pasture. The livestock body conditions of mainly sheep and cattle were emaciated; milk production has reduced and has also directly impacted on pastoralist’s incomes and their ability to access staple foods. Cases of some livestock diseases such as Peste des Petit Ruminants (PPR), Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), Sheep and goat pox among others have already been reported in various districts. Cattle and sheep are most affected with mortality rates of an average 20 per cent in Marsabit and Samburu.
4 The LRA 2009 has provided the basis for this summary
18 UNOCHA Kenya http://ochaonline.un.org/kenya
Market performance Markets account for 65 per cent of food consumed by households while 18 percent is from own production. 5The price of maize ranges between 96 and 150 percent above normal with a kilogram selling for Ksh. 40, up from the normal Ksh.16. Livestock contribute 78 percent of household income in the pastoral livelihood zone. The imposition of quarantine and conflicts has resulted in near total collapse of the livestock markets. As a result, the price of one goat has reduced by 52 percent in Marsabit and Samburu. In addition, terms of trade has deteriorated significantly, by between 16 and 400 percent particularly in Samburu and Marsabit. Households have therefore to sell four goats in Samburu and three goats in Marsabit compared to the normal one goat in order to purchase a 90-kilogram bag of maize.
Health and Nutrition A worsening of malnutrition rates is attributed to low dietary diversity as well as general crop failure and minimal livestock production. The Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) rates remain unacceptably high and are above WHO emergency levels in Turkana, Marsabit and Samburu at 24, 22.2 and 20.4 percent respectively. An indication of a high likelihood of mortalities as a result of the high Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) rates of above 2.
Water and Sanitation Acute water scarcity has been prevalent in the various districts due to drought conditions. The main water sources include boreholes, rivers, shallow wells as well as springs and pans. Over 90 per cent of pans, dams and shallow wells dried up. Emergency water trucking is being undertaken throughout the cluster except in Turkana. Water shortages have prompted populations and animals to travel long distances to water sources. In the pastoral livelihood zones, average distance to water points for domestic use is 25-30 kilometres against the ‘usual’7 kilometres. Water scarcity has also led to reduced usage currently averaging 3-5 litres per person per day compared to the normal average of 5-10 litres per person per day. Sphere Standards call for 15 litres per person per day.
As a result of low latrine coverage, sanitation is compromised hence the increased incidences of waterborne diseases like diarrhea.
5 LRA 2009
A Turkana girl waters camels from a hole dug in a dry riverbed near Kenya’s border with Uganda. Increasing drought has forced pastoralist to travel further in search of pasture and water. Anthony Morland/IRIN
19 UNOCHA Kenya http://ochaonline.un.org/kenya
Coastal Marginal Agricultural Cluster
The cluster comprises of Taita Taveta, Malindi, Kilifi, Kwale and Lamu districts with a population of 1,980,000. The predominant livelihoods in this cluster are mixed farming; formal employment/casual labour/ business, marginal mixed farming and livestock farming. Populations also practice fishing and mangrove cutting.
Food security has greatly been affected as a result of the poor performance of the 2009 long rains and other contributing factors such as poor and low application of farm inputs and pronounced wildlife menace. Prevailing high food prices has also compounded the situation. Acute food and livelihood crisis has been reported from the coast line
into the hinterland of Malindi, Kilifi and Kwale districts.
Food and livelihood crisis The general food security trends vary and have markedly improved in mixed farming livelihood zones along the coastal strip and in Taita Taveta as well as the whole of Lamu district. However the trend is deteriorating in the hinterland areas and the low-lying areas of Taita Taveta. Terms of trade have deteriorated significantly and households have to sell about four goats compared to the normal two goats in order to raise enough cash needed to purchase a 90-kilogram bag of dry maize.
Livestock and crop production Crop production in the cluster is 90-100 percent rainfall dependent. Full agricultural potential within the cluster has been constrained by various factors that include low soil fertility; low soil moisture retention capacity; use of poor seeds, among others.
Livestock production on the other hand, accounts for about 30 percent of household income. An unusually large influx of livestock from north eastern province, Tana River and Kajiado districts and parts of northern Tanzania, threaten sustainability of available pasture and water.
Foot and Mouth Disease broke out in Malindi district in August 2009. In addition, an influx of livestock into the districts increased the risk of livestock diseases.
20 UNOCHA Kenya http://ochaonline.un.org/kenya
Water and sanitation There was poor recharge of most water sources particularly in the hinterland divisions within Malindi, Kilifi and Kwale districts. In Kilifi district over 90 percent of pans and dams dried up. The impact of tacute water shortages increased the distance to water sources for domestic and livestock use.
Health and Nutrition An upsurge in diarrheal diseases due to poor water quality and sanitation conditions has been recorded in Malindi district with 188 percent increase compared to similar period of the previous year. The cholera outbreak within the districts has been contained. Nutrition surveys conducted in May 2009 indicate poor nutrition situation in Kilifi, Kwale and Taita Taveta with GAM rates of 6.5, 9.0 and 5.4 percent respectively.
The main source of food commodities is derived from markets that contribute to 62 percent of maize consumed at household level. Overall retail prices of maize are significantly higher than normal by over 80 percent. This compromises poor families’ ability to buy basic food items, and undermines nutritional status, especially for children.
A young boy, in the Ukambani area, suspected to besuffering from pellagra, deficiency of niacin, accordingto Public Health Office in Ndalani. OCHA Kenya
21 UNOCHA Kenya http://ochaonline.un.org/kenya
South-Eastern Marginal Agricultural Cluster
The southeastern marginal cluster is formed of seven (7) districts (Tharaka, Mbeere, Mwingi, Machakos, Kitui, Makueni and Meru) with a population of 64, 012, 533 people. The areas are dependent on rain-fed agricultural and livestock practices which accounts for up to 91% of the population’s employment opportunities. The remaining 9 % of the population derives income from formal employment in the public service, trade and casual employment opportunities. There is an accentuation of food insecurity caused by successive poor rains the last two years. Most parts of the cluster are in acute food and livelihood crisis.
Food & Livelihoods crisis Crop production is highly dependent on rainfall, with about only 2 per cent reliant on irrigation. , Poor seed germination and repeated plantings left the cluster at the risk of yielding less than 20 per cent of normal harvests. Poor pasture regeneration led to reduced livestock productivity and deterioration of body conditions for livestock. The pitiable conditions of livestock diminished terms of trade for herders, resulting in reduced market prices. For herders, who depend on income from their livestock, reduced income levels brought about by direct effects of drought, undermines their access to basic foods acquired through purchase.
Health and Nutrition No serious disease outbreaks have been reported through the cluster, however with the reduced availability limited access to milk and other foods, the nutrition status of children is of concern and there is a risk of spiraling malnutrition.
6 Estimates from Kenya Central Bureau of Standards 2006 Note: The LRA 2009 has provided the basis for this summary
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Education There has been a steady drop in attendance in school noted since the beginning of 2009. The drop is associated with the prolonged drought, and children being forced to stay home and help with chores (like trekking for water). Also the lack of school feeding programme causes the drop in attendance. The Home Grown programme, which is exclusively government run (in Kitui and Mwingi for instance), needs to be strengthened to encourage school continuity amongst children, but also contribute to boost children’s nutritional intakes as households battle with effects of drought. The Home Grown is the govern-led led initiative to buy locally grown crops for school feeding programmes and thereby to support local economies but also supplement children’s nutrition.
Water Due to high temperatures experienced between July and September, 60 percent of the sources in Machakos and 100 percent in Mwingi are dry, according to the LRA results. As a result, trekking distances to water for both domestic and livestock has increased by 66-90 percent except in Tharaka where they remain normal. In Makueni the distances have doubled from an average of 4-5 kilometers to 8-10 kilometers one way while in Mwingi some people are trekking as far as 31 kilometers in search of water.
Water harvesting is one of the most viable ways of water storage in rural areas, but initiative is underused. Arid Lands Resource Management Project is investing millions of shillings to support locals maximize rain water, by harvesting in tanks as above. OCHA Kenya
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Eastern Pastoral Livelihood Cluster
The cluster consists of Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, Isiolo, Ijara and Tana River districts. The area has an estimated population of 1,589,523. 47% of the people are pastoralists, 20%agro-pastoralists, 16% involved in formal and non-formal employment and 13% in marginal and mixed farming (KFSSG 2009). The cluster has its own unique humanitarian challenges driven by the refugee and IDP population, and those that are long standing, and include food insecurity, conflict, poverty, water scarcity, flooding and health pandemics.7
Food & Livelihood crisis The overall food security situation is worsening in the cluster. The deteriorating food security situation has mostly affected pastoralists and small scale farmers. Moreover, livestock body conditions are severely deteriorating and mortalities have been reported. Pasture regeneration is also non-existent in most areas and poor in some, including the strategic grazing planes in Wajir and Garissa.
The most severely affected areas by food insecurity are nearly all of Ijara, Isiolo and pockets in Wajir district. A combination of drought conditions and rising food prices is driving the crisis which is affecting populations that are already food insecure due to conflict, displacement and a drop in food production. Livestock prices have also declined, partly because animals are emaciated because of the drought.
Food aid and the supplementary feeding of children, pregnant and lactating mothers are key interventions that have been put in place. Interviews conducted by UN OCHA with District Authorities and Drought Monitoring Officers in Isiolo, Mandera, Moyale, Wajir and Tana River indicate that there is an increasing number of pastoral drop outs venturing into the urban areas in search of employment. Given the limited employment opportunities and high levels of poverty in urban areas, such population end up requiring
7 The LRA 2009 has provided the basis for this summary
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food assistance, as part of the needs required to support their survival. Food intervention operations in the cluster are the focus of GoK and agencies such as Action Aid, Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS), UNICEF and WFP.
Conflict Conflict has been recurrent in the cluster for decades, and has resulted in the loss or life, property and displacement of people. The most affected districts are Mandera and Isiolo. Mandera’s conflict has a cross border dimension in terms of political, economic and social factors with neighboring Somalia and Ethiopia. Cattle rustling, competition for scarce resources, and the proliferation of illegal arms and insecurity have contributed to the increasing conflicts in the cluster. Conflict in Isiolo on the other hand is experienced within the district and with neighbouring Samburu, Marsabit and Meru North districts.
During 2009, the cluster has received deficient rainfall. In addition, there have been recorded drastic livelihood changes, increased poverty and dependency in the areas, attributes that also contribute to the existing resource based conflicts. Conflict in return limits access to water and pasture, thus increasing the number of people that are vulnerable. The proliferation of illegal firearms is contributing to increased armed cattle raids, leaving people displaced, injured and even dead.
A number of peace building and conflict management interventions have been tried within the cluster, but conflict and insecurity continues to persist. For instance, District Peace Committees (DPCs) have been created and Government is in the planning phase of decentralizing them to them further, to the sub-location level. Additional support is however required to build the capacity of such peace committees in responding and preventing conflict. Dialogue amongst peace committee is required as they are not speaking to each other.
Alternative methods of engagement besides conducting security operations would also facilitate solutions as those previously conducted have not yielded lasting solutions. Community early warning activities also require support and strengthening, in order to ensure that they are effective. Youth also require access to other sources of economic activities in order to deter them from rustling. Conflict mitigation and prevention initiatives are therefore imperative when addressing the challenges being faced.
Water Scarcity At the peak of the drought in August and September water shortage was acute in Isiolo, Ijara, Mandera, Wajir and Garissa districts. Increased temperatures contributed to reduced water levels in water bodies. For instance, River Ewaso Nyiro is the main source of water in Isiolo district and has recorded drastic reduction in water levels. Hydro power generation in Tana River district has also been affected, as is evident by the reduced hydro power production.
Pastoralist youth display their ‘military prowess.’ Armed cattle raids are on the rise as proliferation of small arms increases. Anthony Morland/IRIN
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Water scarcity hampered school feeding programmes in Isiolo, Mandera and Wajir, as schools have little or no water sources available. On the other hand, water scarcity has also resulted in the large scale migration of livestock to other districts and neighbouring countries. Livestock from Mandera district have migrated to Ethiopia and Somalia, while those from Wajir have migrated to far flung districts of Tana River and Taita Taveta as well as Somalia. Livestock from Ijara and Garrisa districts have migrated to neighbouring Lamu district and Somalia; those in Tana River have migrated to Taita Taveta and Kwale districts. Migration of livestock to other districts has also contributed in the spread of diseases such as Foot and Mouth disease. For instance, livestock that have migrated from Isiolo to the mountainous areas of Marsabit and Meru and Tharaka district have contributed to an increase in the number of F& MD cases in Marsabit.
The Ministry of Water and Irrigation, UNICEF and non-governmental organizations have been providing water trucking services to areas that are hard-hit. However, additional support is urgently required in Isiolo, Mangera, Ijara, Wajir and Garissa districts. Additional boreholes are required in all the districts, desilting of water pans required in Ijara, Garissa and Tana River districts.
Livestock Diseases Diseases threaten livestock production that supports the livelihood of close to half the population in the cluster.
The Ministry of Livestock Production (MoLP) estimates that more than 10million people in ASAL areas and 50% of the agricultural sector are supported by pastoral activities. Peste de Petites Ruminant (PPR), Foot and Mouth Disease (F&MD), Avian Flu and Rift Valley Fever (RVF), are some of the diseases facing livestock in the cluster. Statistics from MoLP indicate that Ksh4billion was lost during an outbreak of RVF in the year 2007, Ksh2.4billion was lost through Avian Flu attacks and a further ksh1.1billion from PPR.
Responses to livestock diseases include vaccinating livestock against the diseases and imposing quarantines. MoLD in partnership with ALRMP have been vaccinating animals against F&MD, PPR, RVF and Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP). However, additional vaccines are required especially in Marsabit where livestock from the cluster have migrated to and one in every 20 has F&MD. 8Cattle that migrated from Ijara to Lamu districts also had F&MD. The availability of water and pasture would also help address the transfer of diseases from one area to another, as livestock mobility will be reduced. However, such initiatives have faced difficulties. Conflict and drought are major hindrances to livestock disease responses especially in Mandera and Wajir East.
The Ministry of Livestock Development notes that immediate action was needed to diagnose diseases quickly and accurately, and equip regional veterinary laboratories.
8 ALRMP,EWB, July 2009
Source: MoLP/ September 2009
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Health Isiolo district has recorded a drop in immunization coverage, from 82%-74% of oral polio and measles vaccines. This can be attributed to the movement of children with their families due to the reduced outreach immunization services. Two children in Merti division, Isiolo district were reported killed by Kalaazar, the second largest parasitic killer.
In 2009, 559 cholera cases and 10 deaths were reported in‘Moyale, 366 cases and 3 deaths in Isiolo, 58 cases and one death in Mandera and 55 cases and one death in Garissa.
The lack of access to safe water, poor hygiene and sanitation in addition to resource constraints are the main challenges encountered in preventing the spread of the disease and treating those who were already affected. Interventions in the areas affected has included treatment of those affected , sending out alerts, closing eating places that did not meet minimum standards and health education.
Weaknesses in the coordination of partners, disease surveillance, weak laboratory systems, poor case management and overall weak supervision are some of the main challenges that the GoK and its partners need to address.
Nutrition Nutrition remains an area of key concern in the cluster. Mandera, Isiolo, Ijara , Garissa and Wajir have recorded critical GAM that are above 20, which means that children are more exposed to preventable diseases and death. Malnutrition is also reported to be high in the northern part of Garissa where one in every five children are malnourished. Supplementary feeding programmes need to be scaled up in Mandera, Isiolo, Wajir and Garissa. Additional technical support to support agencies working in partnership with the District Public Health Offices is also required.
Environmental Degradation Environmental degradation has reached alarming levels in Isiolo, and this can be attributed to the cutting down of trees for firewood. Pastoralists who are dropping out are turning to charcoal burning for commercial purposes as is evidenced by the number of people selling charcoal along the major roads in Isiolo, Garissa, Wajir and Mandera. The cutting down of trees is leading to soil erosion and further exacerbating the drought conditions.
Indiscriminate cutting down of trees, sometimes used as a cooking fuel but more and more for charcoal production, has led to serious deforestation which impacts water catchment areas.
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Food Security in the Grain Basket
The Grain Basket Assessment Following the precarious food security prognosis after the failure of the long rains season, the Kenya Food Security Steering Group (KFSSG) conducted an assessment in August 2009 in the grain basket of
Kenya. The assessment was aimed at determining the crop production levels in areas that contribute 85% of the national grain output. The Ministry of Agriculture, supported by FAO, WFP and OCHA assessed the greater Trans Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, Nandi, Trans Mara, Nakuru, Bomet and Bureti districts in the Rift Valley Province; Bungoma, Lugari and Mt. Elgon in Western Province; Nyamira, Migori, Nyando and Siaya in Nyanza Province; and Kirinyaga, Muranga, Nyeri and Nyandarua in Central Province. The poor performance of the Long rains Season has left the grain basket reeling with a reduced harvest of 25 % below normal. This reduction will undoubtedly contribute to an already dire food crisis in Kenya, with food price hikes continuing to spur and
leaving thousands at the mercy of food aid.
Performance of 2009 Long Rains & impact on crop production Generally, the main crops cultivated in the grain basket are maize, beans, finger millet and sweet potatoes. These crops are planted twice a year, during the long rains and short rains seasons. Whilst the onset of the 2009 long rains season was delayed by a month or two weeks in some districts (e.g. Bungoma, Lugari), the rains performed fairly well in other districts (e.g. Transmara). Crop production in the grain basket therefore is varied, with reduced harvests in some areas and surplus harvests reported in other districts.
Transmara District received good rainfall this year. The assessment reports in its findings of August 2009 that annual rainfall ranges between 930-900mm per year. The amount of rainfall received in the district in 2009 has been increasing in amount from January all through to August with a fair distribution over the year. This has enabled a constant supply of moisture to the soil and motivated cultivators.
Figure 1: Monthly rainfall for the period of January to December 2008 and January 2009-August 2009 compared to LTA Transmara district. (Source: FAO/GoK/OCHA assessment report, August 2009)
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0
50
100
150
rRainfall (m
m)
Rainfall distribution for Transmara District, 2008 and Jan‐August 2009
y2009
y2008
LTM
The good rains received have contributed to a surplus crop production in Transmara district. The total amount of maize being produced in the district is increasing annually. In the year 2005, the district produced about 800,000bags of maize. Four years later, 2009 the district is expected to produce close to 2.0 million bags of maize.
Figure 2: Crop Production trends graphic analysis (Source: FAO/GoK/OCHA assessment report, August 2009)
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Impact of delayed/poor rains The delayed onset of the long rains season, experienced for wider Kenya affected the grain basket too. In this report, two districts- Bungoma and Lugari- are studied on the impact on the delayed rains on crop production. In Bungoma district the rains were delayed by a month, with rains starting in April instead of March, whilst Lugari district received rains two weeks after they were expected. The rains in both districts were poorly distributed in time and space, impacting negatively on crop germination and growth, and ultimately contributing to poor harvests. The rains also ceased early and wrought premature wilting of crops, with a dry spell experienced at critical stages of crop development affecting full growth.
In Lugari district, the food security prognosis indicates a reduced harvest of between 60 and 70 per cent. Lugari district targeted to produce 1, 172,738 bags of maize, but with the poor rains, only 860,008 bags of maize are expected to be harvested, a drop of 26 per cent! The poor rains have led to Bungoma district revising its expected harvests of maize from 47bags to 31 bags per ha, a drop of 34 per cent. Targeted production was 4,643,375 bags of maize from the long rains, but their poor performance of the rains leaves the district expecting 3,058,213 bags.
Factors affecting crop production Poor rains mainly contribute to poor crop production, but other factors have converged to further undermine the agriculture industry. The August assessment to the grain basket confirmed the following factors that affect crop production, as much as poor rains do: -
High poverty levels undermine productive and lucrative farming practices Low soil fertility and low crop yields due to poor farming methods Reduced soil fertility caused by use of DAP fertilizers thus reducing the pH of the soils and the
rampant land degradation and deforestation Erratic rains experienced in over four seasons rains season and the over reliance on rain fed
farming Limited access to credit facilities to facilitate input acquisition by the majority smallscale farmers. High input prices and the low bargaining power leading to low prices for their produce Poor market structure and the poor infrastructure (poor rural access roads especially in the
hinterland Households could not top-dress at the right time Limited or zero access to irrigation facilities that can complement poor rains.
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Drought and its effects on vulnerable groups - Affected Populations
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Cattle rustling exacerbated by scarce resources and proliferation of small arms have led to an increase in localized conflict. Conflicts in the ASALs spurred during the peak of the drought (between June & September 2009) when thousands of livestock migrated to new grazing grounds. In Turkana district, two attacks occurred between the 12th and 14th September 2009 and four people, including a child were killed and 1200 people displaced. Meanwhile, OCHA’s analysis into pastoralist killings indicates that the cumulative number of reported people killed between January and September has risen to 323 from 290 reported in September in 2008.
1. Pastoralists Climate change continues to endanger the pastoral livelihood system in Kenya. The severity of drought continues to deepen with the pastoralists, agro-pastoralists and marginal agricultural farm households facing the impact of the worsening weather conditions thereby affecting food security for the populations. The extremely food insecure populations include pastoralists in parts of Marsabit, Isiolo, Samburu and Tana River districts. According to the Kenya Meteorological Department, the country faces its fifth consecutive season of depressed rainfall. Successive poor seasons after the reproduction rates of livestock and recovery of pastoral livelihood systems is rendered more difficult.
The availability of water and pasture is greatly reduced leading animals to seek pasture outside normal grazing zones thereby resulting in resource-based conflicts between communities such as in West and Central Pokot, Turkana south, Marsabit and Samburu. The poor season has also resulted in extended trekking distances that range between 20-40 kilometres in the pastoral livelihood areas.
Pastoralists are mainly faced with two processes during drought that adversely affect their capacity to support themselves and effectively raise the minimum herd numbers required to maintain their households. These include the reduced levels of productivity within the livestock sector due to the weakened body conditions and hence have to sell off their cattle before death. Pastoralists also have to deal with the changes in the terms of trade that adversely affect purchasing power of the pastoral community.
Poorly integrated markets, largely as a result of poor trade infrastructure in pastoral and agro-pastoral areas has also compounded food insecurity. Pastoral and agro-pastoral households are heavily dependent on markets either to sell their livestock and products or to purchase cereals. However with the poor integrated markets, pastoral households routinely face high cereal prices and low livestock prices thereby exacerbating food insecurity.
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Incomplete disease control measures especially with respect to the Peste de petits Ruminants (PPR) and the contagious Caprine and Bovine Pleuro Pneumonia have also contributed to declining food security.
Rates of child malnutrition have remained high in some pastoral districts. The high rates are mainly attributed to low milk and food availability and poor dietary diversity. Nutrition surveys carried out by the Ministry of Health and other partners in Wajir East and South, Turkana South and Central, Mandera, Garissa, Samburu, Turkana, Marsabit, Ijara and Baringo depict worrying high levels of child malnutrition. While current GAM rates are above the emergency WHO threshold of 15 percent, particularly in Mandera, Marsabit, and Turkana districts, these areas typically report GAM rates of close to 20 percent, even in normal seasons. Poverty has also accentuated food insecurity within the pastoral community thereby limiting access to education, healthcare, sufficient food and capacities to diversify livelihoods.
2. Women and Children The effect of drought on women and children has had devastating consequences leaving hundreds of children and mothers malnourished, to the point of hospitalization for some. The cumulative effect of four consecutive failed rain seasons has lead to hundreds of children succumbing to acute and severe malnutrition. Pregnant mothers too are suffering from malnutrition, a condition that can lead to pre-natal and maternal mortality. By late August, UNICEF estimated that 282, 000 children were malnourished, with 39, 074 children of that number suffering from severe malnutrition, and 242,934 affected by moderate malnutrition. In pastoral communities, women and children are left behind for longer times by their husbands/fathers, who migrate to farther places to search for water and pasture for their animals. The migration of livestock limits access to essentials such as milk, produced by animals. Also dietary requirements are reduced because families who depend on livestock sales to buy other essentials leave their women and children to fend for themselves- gathering wild fruits and vegetables- usually over long trekking distances.
The poor nutritional status of pregnant women is worrisome, especially for HIV positive mothers. 9UNAIDS estimates of 2006 of HIV prevalence in the Turkana was 11.4%. In October 2006, seven of the 10 children admitted to the nutritional rehabilitation center at the hospital in Lodwar, Turkana, were HIV-positive. Mary Ann Macharia, a nurse working at a rehabilitation centre commented that "because of the drought here, there is no supplementary feeding (to replace breast milk) and no reliable sources to get food or even water," which means there still is a possibility that an infant will become HIV-positive because they are breast fed. This sentiment reverberates for the urban poor too. The lack of water forces women and children to trek long distances, sometimes 40 kilometres a day, to reach water points, where they sometimes queue for long hours due to congestion and high demand for water in the dry areas.
9 The Body- The Complete HIV/AIDS Resource Centre A woman and her children fetching water from a dry river bed (Photo: Julius Mwelu/IRIN). On the right- children fetch water inthe eastern Kenya district of Isiolo - a district facing severe water shortages due to the prevailing drought. (Photo: Noor Ali/IRIN)
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The number of children dropping out of school also increased as parents forced children to help fend for live by helping fetch for water, looking after livestock and hawking. School feeding programs cushion the food stress and have helped children in some areas stay in school. It has been reported though that children tend to share their school rations with other family members, and therefore the program has little impact on nutritional status of children. Drop out levels remain high in Turkana due mainly insecurity, prolonged drought, negative attitudes towards girl-child education and child labour.
3. Urban Poor A combination of factors- drought, poverty, unemployment, and food and fuel price hikes - impact the urban poor in slums (informal settlements) in several ways. Urban informal settlements are home to millions living in extreme poverty with little or no access to basic social services. According to UNHABITAT (2003), by 2010, 42.9% of the population in Kenya will be living in urban areas. Living conditions in informal settlements are deplorable with the most worrisome health concerns emerging from poor sanitation and hygiene practices. There is no drainage in most of these unplanned settlements, and the two rainy seasons in Kenya leave these populations living on the brink of health disasters. 10Slums in Nairobi approximated at 200 and with a growth rate of 7% annually, host 60% of the city’s population living on 5% of land. Nairobi is home to an estimated 113,038,600 people. In Nairobi’s Kibera slum which has a population density of 49 600 people per sq/kilometre, the conditions are appalling with limited/no social services for residents. Solid waste management is almost non-existent. Some residents use ‘flying toilets’, where they defecate in plastic bags and toss the bags over a distance. Diseases such as malaria, cholera and typhoid afflict large proportions of the residents. HIV/AIDS infections are at an alarming rate due to density, high risk behaviour residents engage for alternative livelihoods, poor access to formal education and family health centres. Thousands of orphans are left to fend for themselves, and with little prospects for education, are trapped in a cycle of poverty.
The urban poor face limited opportunities for income generation and at the same time basic needs can only be met through the market place whose commodities are expensive for most. The poor in Kenya, as in most developing countries live on less than $1 or $0.50 per day. The Long Rains Assessment (LRA) of 2009 states that 2.5 million people in urban areas are unable to meet 50% of the daily food requirements.
Reduced harvests means inflated market prices for the diminished supply and transportation costs to cities also influence the market prices. Prices are said to have risen to 130 % above normal in some places. In Nairobi, the impact on dietary quality and assortment is said to have dramatically changed over the last two years, with families reducing their meal intake to just one meal a day (from three meals per day two years ago). The drought, which has led to major electricity and water rationing, also leaves families cash strapped as their small scale businesses (salons, butcheries, tailors) which provide a basis for livelihood/income generation are collapsing. Access to basic foods/services is limited.
The table below shows the impact of food/fuel price hikes on the urban poor in Nairobi:
Accounts of Crisis: People’s experiences of food, fuel & Financial Crisis: Institute for Development Studies/UK
10 UN-HABITAT 11 Kenya National Bureau of Statistics
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4. Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Post- election violence IDPs, still reeling from the loss incurred during the 2007/08 crisis are today faced with drastic effects of food insecurity. Domiciled in agriculturally high potential districts of greater Uasin Gishu, greater Trans-Nzoia and greater, a number of IDPs in transit camps, relocation sites and even IDP camp (Eldoret) are unable to become self-sufficient due to a number of reasons, among them lack of land, loss of their livestock during flight from violence in the aftermath of the 2007 elections, and failure to integrate in communities where they are currently displaced. The discontinuation of food assistance under Emergency Operations Programme (EMOP) has increased the susceptibility of food insecurity of this group. The IDPs prolonged displacement in camps are unable to plough their farms due to long distances from transit sites/relocation sites to their farms; others simply have no land; others have not been able to farm due to lack of access to seeds; the delay of the start of the long rains season and the deficient rainfall received has impacted negatively on crop production. High costs of production- ploughing, fertilizers and certified seeds- have also resulted in low usage of farm lands. Furthermore, lack of employment and income generation initiatives leaves most IDPs unable to purchase foods due to continued food price hikes. A study conducted by the Institute for Development Studies in March this year, illustrates how food prices in rural Kenya have doubled in the last three years, making it difficult for families to afford nutritionally balanced meals per day.
In addition to being a food insecure group, another paramount need for remaining IDPs is Shelter. Most of the tents in the IDPs and transit camps in Uasin Gishu and Nakuru are torn and outlived their lifespan, leaving families to stay in leaking tents. The short rains season, expected to be enhanced with high probability of flooding, could spell untold disasters for these families if quick action in not undertaken to address their needs.
Conflict and disasters contribute to the displacement of people within and across borders, in addition to contributing to the loss and destruction of property and lives. Those displaced and seeking refuge often place additional demands to areas that are hosting them.
Isiolo, Turkana, Kuria, Samburu and Mandera districts have time and again hosted hundreds IDPs wrought by cattle rustling incidents, and who have often required humanitarian assistance such as food, non-food items, water and healthcare. For instance KRCS estimates indicate that during the month of July 2009, 1,475 families (7,375 people), were displaced by conflict and 1000 animals stolen in Isiolo district alone. Recent times have seen host communities demand environmental rehabilitation and socio-economic assistance to enable them cope with the influx of new population, amidst prolonged drought, water scarcity and poverty. A serious public health crisis caused by a lack of basic services, severe overcrowding and a chronic lack of funding exist in host areas.
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5. Refugees Kenya hosts 380,317 refugees in Dadaab, Kukuma and Nairobi. The largest number of refugees is in Dadaab camp currently hosting 288,089 refugees (September 2009). Initially built for just 90,000 refugees, the camp is extremely congested and overstretched beyond its capacities. For most of the refugees, their livelihoods are mainly dependant on humanitarian aid and assistance in kind, which often translates into commodities for trade. In refugee camps, many basic needs are met through relief assistance, but not all needs are met and usually not for as long as refugees require the assistance. The lack of access to land for refugees in Kenya increases refugees’ vulnerability and limits potential for exploring initiatives that can add value to their livelihoods. For instance, firewood for cooking requires refugees to buy it from traders or demands for refugees to leave the camp to fetch the firewood from forests, a risky venture, especially with increased hostility from host communities who say refugees have degraded their environment.
6. The Youth Youth in Kenya, comprise 32% of the population and are those between the ages of 15-30 years while those below 30 years of age comprise 75% of the population (MOYAS, NYP 2006).Youth are often at the centre of humanitarian challenges that Kenya faces and possess tremendous potential that can be harnessed towards addressing the country’s humanitarian emergencies that include floods, drought, conflict and water shortages. Drought is forcing hundreds of youth to migrate to cities where they think they can get jobs, but economic challenges – lack of jobs, poverty, and high living standards further increase the vulnerability of these young people. The post-election violence in Kenya sparked debates on youth as a major contributor to the crisis. Unemployment, lack of education, and poverty, which leave the youth dormant, are cited as reasons that left the youth susceptible to political manipulation in the violence perpetrated in the aftermath of the 2007 elections.
On the other hand, youth in flood prone areas such as Budalangi are involved in positive rescue and response initiatives that include reforestation, clearing of blocked drainages and the repair of dykes. The contribution of the youth to the development to livelihood zones therefore cannot go unnoticed. In agricultural areas, youth provide labor to livestock and agricultural production. In the arid and semi-arid lands that make up 80% of Kenya’s land, youth are involved in livestock production, a sector which the Ministry of Livestock Production estimates supports the livelihood of more than 10 million Kenyans. The contribution is against a backdrop of increased poverty rates, unemployment and grave consequences of drought and its impact on livelihoods. Regional poverty estimates for Kenya reveal that poverty is particularly high in semi-arid areas of the country (KIPPRA 2009).
The contribution youth are making to the development of their areas has not been without constraints. Lack of access to education and healthcare, involvement in crime and violence, inadequate access to training and markets are some of the major hindrances that youth are facing, with the most acute being
A young woman milks her cow in Pokot district.Livestock production is one of the main sources oflivelihood in the district. OCHA Kenya
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unemployment. The Kenya Bureau of Statistics estimates for the years 2005/6 indicate that the overall unemployment rate was 12.7%, of which youth unemployment comprised 24% (KIPPRA 2009).
Various attempts by GoK, civil society organizations and international agencies are engaged in addressing humanitarian challenges facing communities through youth engagement.
In order to maximize the potential of the youth, the challenges facing youth require lasting solutions. Facilitating the participation of youth in social and economic development of the nation, advocating and promoting youth led initiatives in addition to providing access to healthcare, education and training are avenues that can assist address the myriad challenges.
At whatever cost, education to masses on social, political and economic facets of life will shape future generations. Captured above, are children using bricks as desks in a village in Kenya. IRIN
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CONCLUSION
Common issues
Populations across Kenya face similar drought humanitarian consequences with the impact felt much more by vulnerable groups. Drought has left millions food insecure and dependant on food aid. Poor harvests have led to consumer price inflation compromising purchasing powers, and thereby limiting access to basic foods. Malnutrition threatens more than 250 000 children under five years old. Water resources depleted forcing women and children to trek for distances as long as 40 kilometres a day in search of water. The urban poor have suffered serious consequences of water shortage by purchasing unsafe drinking water, which led to cholera outbreak and killing 15 people. Young boys and men in pastoral areas have trekked beyond their usual territories, separated from their families for much longer periods and are caught in armed conflict over resources and commercialized cattle rustling. Poor sanitation has undermined health and cholera outbreak has claimed 8363 people since January 2009. Education in rural and urban settings has been affected with children dropping out of school to support their parents to perform increasing household chores e.g. fetching water for domestic and livestock use, hawking etc. With the onset of rains, destruction to life and livelihoods is feared for the 750 000 persons that may be affected by flooding. As at 28 October, floods have displaced 2800 persons in Malindi, Mombasa and Mandera. Some 300-400 sheep and goats have been killed by heavy rains in Garrissa. And as the rains intensify, the humanitarian situation is set to worsen.
Food security prognosis The climate outlook for the Short Rains (October-November) season indicates that much of the country is likely to experience near-normal rainfall tending to above-normal or what is also referred to as enhanced rainfall. There are opportunities to be found in the climate projections. Enhanced rains will be good for the crops in some areas, mainly in the southeastern coastal lowlands for which the short rains are the most important. These areas provide only 15% of the overall national maize supplies but that shall be a useful addition to depleted stocks in grain reserves. Short cycle crops like potatoes, cassava, sorghum and vegetables could also benefit from good rains and help to mitigate maize harvest losses in the short term. In this regard, modest improvements in pastoral food security are expected towards the end of the year including in the northeastern pastoral districts. However for an above average recovery in the pastoral areas, food security is unlikely to considerably improve unless good short rains are also complemented by good long rains in 2010. Short cycle-crops in the Long-Rains dependent food grain basket, will also cushion the food stress if the Short Rains season is well utilized.
Future Prospects Future projections through year’s end and beyond look grim. Using historical trend analysis illustrated in the graph below, it is obvious that the occurrence of an El Niño phenomenon (enhanced rainfall; floods; mudslides and other consequences) is always followed by a La Niña period of drought and depressed rainfall. If, as predicted, we have the enhanced rains during the last quarter of 2009, it is nearly certain that 2010 and possibly beyond will be periods of prolonged drought and water scarcity. Emergency preparedness can help to mitigate the disaster situation but this must be complemented by robust attempts
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to address the underlying causes of drought emergencies in the country and to deal simultaneously with the convergence of trends affecting multiple populations in the country.
For the next few months, disaster preparedness and response for flood, drought and their humanitarian consequences have to take precedence. This entails building awareness of the looming hazards, improving and sharing vulnerability and risk analyses not only with decisions makers in the government and the international community but also with the general population and citizens at risk.
Addressing timely response The cumulative effect of last four consecutive poor rain seasons on vulnerable populations is expected to continue into 2010. Despite the prospect of enhanced rainfall at the end of 2009 and the expectation of some recovery, drought related needs and vulnerabilities are expected to remain. The Kenya Humanitarian Partnership Team (KHPT), formerly the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) CT agreed to launch a Common Humanitarian Action Plan (CHAP) for 2010, called the Emergency Humanitarian Response Plan (EHRP). The Plan aims to address drought needs, refugee & IDP issues and urban vulnerabilities set to continue and even worsen in 2010.
The GoK, with support from humanitarian & development partners and donors have embarked on ways of addressing timely response to ensure that gaps in response are addressed, and timely initiatives are re-enforced to maximize the outputs from the anticipated enhanced Short Rains season, but also addressing some development failures which if tackled, will positively impact the agro-infrastructure sector, for instance, and its contribution to national economic growth. In August, the GoK launched a long-term National Economic Stimulus Programme. The Plan aims to address immediate drought needs and also start implementing infrastructure development in the agriculture sector that will revamp disused irrigation systems and introduce drought resistant crops. The GoK, through its ministries and with support from the UN, NGO partners and the KRCS are striving to capitalize the added value of enhanced rains. For example, the Ministry of Water and Irrigation has been engaged in the following activities:
Monitoring ENSO: Nino3.4 Sea Surface Temperature IndexDepartures from Average (° C)
LNLNLN
LN
EL EL ELEL
ELELEL
Source: Kenya Meteorological Department
39 UNOCHA Kenya http://ochaonline.un.org/kenya
Water SectorActivities Location Achievements
Water Harvesting.
Desilting andconstruction of smalldams and water pans.
Country wide 111 Small dams and water pans were desilted / constructed
Large dams Mainly for Urban areawater supply
6 large dams (Maruba, Badasa, Chemususu, Kiserian, Umaa and Sasumua) are currently either under construction or rehabilitation.
Tanks Various ASAL districts. 1770 plastic tanks delivered tovarious ASAL districts.
de-silting of Canals in smallholder
Western and Nyanzasmallholderschemes
drainage schemes are being andcleaned in readiness for theexpected heavy
In pastoral areas, researchers call for climate change adaptation measures that include tapping the potential of indigenous knowledge as well as strengthening natural resource conservation at the local level in order to reduce the vulnerability of pastoralist groups to the adverse impact of drought. Under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), COMESA is developing a regional food security policy framework for vulnerable communities. The process includes a review and analysis of disaster preparedness and response in pastoralist areas, with particular emphasis on drought. (“Trigger happy? Signals for timely humanitarian response in pastoralist areas,” Technical Briefing Paper No.2, May 2009). Despite huge investment that has been made to improve early warning, too often humanitarian assistance continues to arrive late in pastoralist areas. The timing of appropriate interventions has been emphasized when responding to the drought and the deterioration of the pastoral livelihood humanitarian conditions. An example of a specific intervention includes, supporting livestock marketing early enough and not once the condition of the animals is so poor that they have little market value at a period.
Current emergency response activities for the drought in pastoral areas include, among others: a livestock off take programme that was launched by the Government in August. The programme entails Government allocation of Ksh. 700 million to the Kenya Meat Commission (KMC) to purchase livestock from 81 severely affected districts to mitigate further loss of livestock during the drought season. The KMC is purchasing livestock from farmers at a cost of Ksh.8 000 per cow.
In addition, in August, the Government launched a rescue plan to revive stalled irrigation schemes such as in Turkana in an effort to boost food security. The Ministry of Water is also now procuring a large number of water tanks and bladders and together with the Ministry of Northern Kenya will continue to drill, repair and maintain boreholes.
Source: CRC/Office of the Prime Minister
40 UNOCHA Kenya http://ochaonline.un.org/kenya
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OCHA Kenya thanks the following whose publications have been used for reference:- Arid Lands Resource Management Project –Monthly Bulletins
CARE Kenya
CONCERN Worldwide
CARE/University of Zambia - Information Services for Refugees in Zambia
COMESA -Trigger happy? Signals for Timely humanitarian response in pastoralist areas
Environmental Geology Journal – The El Nino Triggered Landslides and their socio-economic impact on Kenya
Institute of Development Studies/UK- Accounts of Crisis: People’s experiences of food, fuel and
Financial Crisis
Kenya Meteorological Department
Kenya Red Cross Society
KFSSG - Long Rains and Short Rains Assessments 2007, 2008 & 2009
Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) – Grain Basket Assessment Reports/August 2009
OCHA KENYA CONTACTS OCHA KENYA Head of Office & Acting Head of OCHA Regional Office for East and Central Africa Jeanine Cooper Tel:020-7624465 [email protected] OCHA KENYA Patrick Lavandhomme Deputy Head of Office Tel: 020-7625148 [email protected] OCHA Kenya Thandie Mwape Humanitarian Affairs Officer/Reporting & Analysis Tel: 020-7625316 [email protected]
Food insecurity 47 million Kenyans are food insecure as a result of drought. This number could in-crease by 2 million by early 2010, when stresses of poor harvests of 2009, are ex-pected to be felt.
Livestock and Livelihoods With prospects of enhanced rainfall, large concentrations of livestock in their hun-dreds of thousands that migrated to better grazing grounds at the height of drought are risk of contracting Rift Valley Fever. Emaciated and weak livestock may not survive heavy rains.
El Nino Flooding Some 750 000 people may be affected in the October-December enhanced rains caused by the El Nino phenomenon, with enormous damages to infrastructure and livelihoods. Flooding has already disrupted transportation of humanitarian aid to refugees in flood prone Garrisa.�
Conflict & Displacements Insufficient water and dwindled pasture at the peak of drought triggered an upsurge of conflict and displacement in pastoral areas. Furthermore, Kenya is home to some 366,499 refugees hosted in Dadaab, Kukuma and Nairobi.
HealthCholera has re-emerged in 12 districts, and the on-set of rains will only further com-promise safe water and sanitation. 8,363 cases have been reported since January 2009 of which 4,136 cases and 50 deaths have been reported in October alone.�
MalnutritionGlobal Acute Malnutrition rates reached critical levels above 20 % in parts of Kenya. Malnutrition has also affected areas that are not traditionally affected. More than 250 000 children under five are suffering from malnutrition in Kenya.
EducationIncreasing drop-outs from school are noted as children are pulled into domestic chores helping parents to search for water, hawking or searching for pasture & water for livestock.
Urban Vulnerability Poverty, unemployment, food price hikes and effects of drought on small businesses have converged to push the urban poor to live on less than US$1 or US$0.50 cents a day, compromising nutritional status, and worsening conditions of vulnerable groups e.g. those infected with HIV/AIDS.
