19-007 Alert Note Food Insecurity Crisis Kenya (not activated)

Kenyan communities currently go through a severe food and water insecurity crises facing the risk of famine and starvation. More than a million people in Kenya are in urgent need of food assistance after below-average rainfall curbed farm output making it difficult for people to find food and water for themselves as well as pasture for their livestock. The dry spell has continued cutting the production of corn, a staple food, and leading to shortages of other foods including milk.

At least 10 people have died of hunger in Kenya and about one million are living in desperate conditions as the ongoing severe drought has destroyed the country's food resources and economy to a now critical level. The Kenyan government says the situation is likely to get worse if climate change delays the rainy season.

Pastoralists in Turkana Isiolo, Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, Marsabit, Tana River, Samburu, Kitui and Baringo are the most affected.

Women, the elderly, children and disabled people are the hardest hit because of their limited movement. Although theKenyan government says it has taken measures to help mitigate the situation by distributing relief food and water to the affected areas, locals who are mostly nomadic are calling on the national government to urgently send life-saving food to mitigate the crisis.