Summary
In January 2014 the Government of Kenya announced an impending drought with an estimated 1.6 million people affected. This was attributed to the poor performance of the long rains from March – May 2014 in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) of Kenya, both in pastoral and marginal agriculture livelihood zones (the North Western, Northern, North Eastern, South Eastern and parts of Coast), affecting household food availability as well as livestock productivity. Food prices were driven up by the increased costs of fuel and general inflation, and eroded household purchasing power.
As a result of this situation, an emergency drought appeal was launched to contribute to the reduction of high rates of acute malnutrition through the provision of humanitarian assistance to the affected population in the priority counties in Kenya. Based on the levels of malnutrition, KRCS prioritized 6 counties (out of the 15 drought affected counties named by the government) namely:
Marsabit county: Loiyangalani sub county (GAM 29.2%), North Horr sub county (GAM 29.2%),
Turkana county: Turkana Central (GAM 28.7%), Turkana North (GAM 27.2%), Turkana South (GAM 24.5%) sub counties,
Wajir county: Wajir West (GAM 20.7%), Wajir East (GAM 16.8%),
Samburu county (GAM 17.3%),
Mandera county: Mandera North (GAM 23.6%), Mandera West (GAM 27.3%), Mandera South (GAM 22.3%,
Baringo County: East Pokot sub county (GAM 21.1%).
Other factors considered besides the high rates of acute malnutrition included: general food insecurity/food scarcity; increased distances to sources of water for domestic and livestock use; difficulties in accessing markets; reduced food purchasing power; and inaccessibility by a majority of other humanitarian actors due to insecurity (including conflict) and poor road network.
Due to the low funding (10% appeal coverage), a second level of prioritization was carried out to address needs in the sector where effects of drought were greatest. Nutrition interventions were re-prioritized (putting on hold interventions in water supply systems rehabilitation).In Marsabit the areas targeted were North Horr and Loyalangalani, while in Baringo, East Pokot was targeted.
Interventions included integrated health and nutrition outreaches targeting inaccessible areas mainly in Marsabit and Baringo, a cash transfer program (CTP) targeting households with severe and moderate malnourished children under 5 years old mainly in Marsabit, and a school feeding programme targeting children in the early childhood development centres in all of the above mentioned counties.
KRCS provided integrated health and nutrition outreaches services such as general treatment of common ailments, immunization and malnutrition screening. The CTP targeted households with malnourished children under the age of 5 years; with 1,400 households receiving 3,000 Kenya Shillings each in every distribution (2 distributions were done). The cash transfer applied soft conditionality where cash recipients mainly mothers attended nutrition education sessions on behaviour change. School feeding program targeted Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres that were not covered by WFP and other organizations. KRCS distributed 227.537 metric tonnes of food to these ECD centres.
An end term evaluation was conducted from 27 July to 1 August, 2015 to assess the impact of the drought operation. The report will be shared once finalized.