Asal counties facing food security threats as damages from El Nino hit Sh16.26 billion

The government has announced that seven counties are staring at a food security threat after they were affected by the El Nino rains whose damages amounted to Sh16.26 billion.

In a statement on Friday, the National El Nino Emergency and Disaster Response Command Centre said the counties include the Asal counties of Lamu, Tana River, Garissa, Mandera, Wajir as well as Homa Bay and Kitui where several mitigation efforts have been put in place to assist the affected.

"The State Department of Special Programmes has successfully distributed over 4,604.6 Metric Tonnes of food items in rice, beans, fortified flour and corned beef to affected Counties," the command centre says.

The Ministry of Health has also dispatched 257 Metric Tonnes of assorted supplies and products to affected areas.

"Efforts are being made to restore damaged infrastructure. This includes repairing 7,878 affected schools, paving the way for their reopening. The number of displaced households has been reduced to 15,208 across 79 camps, a significant decrease from the initial 170 camps hosting 109,179 displaced households."

Agricultural sector

The agricultural sector was also impacted, with livestock losses totalling 6,706 animals, primarily goats and sheep, and crops 84,568 acres of land destroyed.

"That has resulted in a combined estimated damage cost of Sh16.26 billion," the command centre states.

Further, the command centre said notable progress has been made on road repair works on the Gamba – Witu road in Tana River County and Kona Punda – Mororo in Garissa County which were affected by the El Nino floods whose death toll remains at 174. The figure includes 133 adults and 41 children.

The command centre said the coordinated efforts of various agencies in disaster preparedness and response were crucial in mitigating the impacts of the El Niño rains.

"The establishment of a robust ground and aerial distribution network, facilitated by the Kenya Defence Forces, National Police Service, Kenya Red Cross Society, and World Food Programme, has been a vital step in ensuring that aid reaches even the most remote and inaccessible areas."

"Furthermore, the heightened state of readiness of emergency response teams, including the Kenya Navy and Kenya Coast Guard Service for search, rescue, and evacuation operations, underscores the collective dedication to safeguarding communities against the challenges posed by the rains," it adds.

This is as the Kenya Meteorological Department forecasts predominantly sunny and dry conditions across most of the Country until the end of January 2024.

However, specific regions, including the Lake Victoria basin, Southern Rift Valley, South-Eastern lowlands, Highlands East of the Rift Valley, and South Coast regions are expected to experience sporadic rainfall.