Garissa governor calls for urgent action as 33,000 households face starvation
Garissa Deputy County Commissioner Sabastian Okiring emphasised the need for an immediate and well-coordinated response, noting that the situation is dire.
Garissa County is grappling with a worsening drought that has left tens of thousands of families struggling to access food and water. In response, Governor Nathif Jama on Monday convened an emergency stakeholders’ forum to map out urgent interventions.
Speaking after the meeting, Governor Nathif warned that the situation was dire and called for a united, coordinated response from all levels of government and development partners.
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"We are facing a severe drought crisis that demands a collective and coordinated response," Governor Jama said. "I call upon the National Government, County Government, and development partners to scale up their interventions and work together to mitigate the impacts of this drought on our communities."
According to Abdinoor Dubow, the Garissa County Coordinator for the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA), more than 33,000 households are food insecure and at risk of starvation.
"The situation is worrying, especially with forecasts showing below-normal rains," Dubow cautioned, calling for strengthened coordination and swift action "to save lives."
Governor Nathif painted a grim picture of the crisis, noting that 18 out of 30 wards have been “extremely affected,” with dried-up water pans and severe shortages for both people and livestock.
Following the meeting, Chief Officer for Water Mohamed Sugow announced a raft of resolutions by the county’s drought response team to cushion affected communities.
The plan includes deploying water bowsers to deliver water to 200 of the worst-hit settlements. The county government will provide eight vehicles, while the NDMA will contribute two for the emergency water trucking initiative, which is set to begin immediately.
To ensure effective implementation, all drought response activities will be coordinated at the sub-county level under the supervision of Deputy County Commissioners.
The committee also prioritised the repair of boreholes and vehicles to enhance water access and distribution for both humans and livestock.
Governor Nathif appealed to the national government and humanitarian organisations for additional support to avert further loss of life.
"This is an emergency," he said. "We must act now to protect our people, our livestock, and our livelihoods."
Garissa Deputy County Commissioner Sabastian Okiring emphasised the need for an immediate and well-coordinated response, noting that the situation is dire.
He also called for the urgent engagement of the Kenya Meat Commission through the NDMA to initiate a livestock offtake programme to cushion farmers from losses caused by the ravaging drought.
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