Mandera herders lose livestock and hope as Governor Mohamed Khalif announces emergency relief measures

Abdirahman Ahmed Gedi stands helplessly on the sun-scorched plains of Jikow, Mandera North—his eyes fixed on the lifeless bodies of goats and sheep that, until recently, were his only source of hope.

One after another, his animals have collapsed in the dust, victims of a drought so punishing that even the strongest livestock can no longer endure it.

Like thousands of pastoralists across the region, Abdirahman made the difficult decision to move his herd toward Mandera West, Wajir County, and even across the border into Ethiopia—areas that received a small blessing of rain. But the journey proved too demanding for his weakened animals.

“I wanted to move to Deydey, where other herders migrated, but my animals could not make it,” he said quietly, standing over the carcasses of more than 15 animals lost in just days.

Only a handful of his livestock remain alive, and he is unsure whether they will survive the trek ahead.

Abdirahman is now pleading for urgent help—water trucking, livestock feed, anything that might save what remains of his herd.

“We need support now,” he said. “Otherwise, the rest will not make it.”

As the crisis worsens, Mandera Governor Mohamed Khalif on Tuesday convened an emergency meeting with his County Executive Committee to craft life-saving interventions.

Speaking at a press conference, the governor described the situation as “alarming” and outlined immediate measures aimed at preventing further loss of life—both human and animal.

Among the resolutions were emergency drilling of 21 boreholes in the most severely affected areas, water trucking to 300 hard-hit settlements, and distribution of relief food to households on the brink.

The governor confirmed that herders from Mandera North were already streaming into Wajir, Mandera West, and Ethiopia in search of water and pasture.

He urged communities in receiving areas to embrace peaceful coexistence and to share the dwindling natural resources with compassion rather than conflict.

And as efforts began on the ground, he appealed to residents for unity and prayer.

“We must continue praying for rain,” Governor Mohamed said. “Only divine intervention can ease this burden.”

For Abdirahman and many others, the hope for rain and for help feels more urgent than ever.

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