UN appeals for more funds to aid hunger stricken Northern Kenya
A TURKANA WOMAN CARRIES HIDES SKINNED FROM GOATS HE HAS LOST TO A BITING DROUGHT THAT HAS RAVAGED LIVESTOCK POPULATION IN NORTHERN KENYA. FILE PHOTO | NMG
UN resident coordinator in Kenya, Mr Siddharth Chatterjee, said the drought situation in the region, was escalating and would require an urgent intervention from donors.
According to the official, there are an estimated 5.6 million people affected as a result of the drought, including 3.4 million people who are food insecure.
This is alongside a total of 369,277 children in need of treatment for acute malnutrition.
The United Nations is appealing for more funds to address the drought that has ravaged some parts of Northern Kenya counties.
The UN office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs, on Thursday said it was reaching out to the international community to pledge additional resources to Kenya to boost relief efforts.
UN resident coordinator in Kenya, Mr Siddharth Chatterjee, said the drought situation in the region, was escalating and would require an urgent intervention from donors.
According to the official, there are an estimated 5.6 million people affected as a result of the drought, including 3.4 million people who are food insecure.
This is alongside a total of 369,277 children in need of treatment for acute malnutrition.
“Of particular concern are the 2.6 million people now facing severe food insecurity, including 500,000 experiencing emergency levels of food insecurity,” Mr Chatterjee said in a statement Thursday.
“The previous Flash Appeal for Kenya launched in March 2017 has been only 43 per cent funded,” he added.
The flash appeal is a drought response plan which covers September to December 2017 and is a project by the UN that sought to complement the government’s 13 month response to drought.
Since the plan was launched in the height of the drought in March, the food insecurity and malnutrition crisis has escalated due to recurrent drought, said the UN.
Water shortages and disease outbreaks, Mr Chatterjee said, have worsened on those already facing hunger and malnutrition, and livelihoods have been further compromised by an infestation of fall army Worm.
“We urgently need funding to step-up the response and prevent a further deterioration in the situation,” he said.
