KENYA DROUGHT
SUMMARY
ISSUED SEPTEMBER 2021
KENYA DROUGHT FLASH APPEAL 2021
Overview Map
SOUTH SUDAN
ETHIOPIA
UGANDA
TANZANIA
SOMALIA
Baringo
Garissa Isiolo
Kajiado
Kitui
Kwale Laikipia
Lamu Makueni
Mandera
Marsabit
Meru
Narok
Samburu
Taita Taveta
Tana River Turkana
Wajir West Pokot
Bomet Bungoma Busia
Elgeyo Marakwet
Embu Homa Bay
Kakamega
Kericho
Kiambu Kirinyaga Kisii
Kisumu
Machakos Migori
Mombasa Murang'a
Nairobi Nandi
Nyamira
Nyandarua Nyeri Siaya
Tharaka-Nithi Trans Nzoia
Uasin Gishu
Vihiga
Nakuru
L. Victoria
Indian Ocean IPC Acute Food Insecurity Phase
1: Minimal 2: Stressed 3: Crisis
4: Emergency 5: Catastrophe/
Famine Not classified / no data available
PeopleTargeted
<25k 50k 100k > 100,000
The designations employed and the presentation of material in the report do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
COVER PHOTO
A woman walks with livestock in Shimbirey village of Balama Sub-County in Garissa County after visiting a waterpoint in September 2021. The waterpoint which was constructed by Islamic Relief Kenya, is visited by 15,000 goats, 7,000 cows and over 8,000 camels each week, (c) IslamicRelief/2021
Flash Appeal at a Glance
People in Need and Targets by Cluster
By Gender and Age
PEOPLE TARGETED REQUIREMENTS (US$) RECIEVED (US$) OPERATIONAL PARTNERS
1.27 M 139.5 M >28.5 M 45
SOUTH SUDAN
ETHIOPIA
UGANDA
TANZANIA
SOMALIA
Baringo
Garissa Isiolo
Kajiado
Kitui
Kwale Laikipia
Lamu Makueni
Mandera
Marsabit
Meru
Narok
Samburu
Taita Taveta Tana River Turkana
Wajir West Pokot
Bomet Bungoma Busia
Elgeyo Marakwet
Embu Homa Bay
Kakamega
Kericho
Kiambu Kirinyaga Kisii
Kisumu
Machakos Migori
Mombasa Murang'a
Nairobi Nandi
Nyamira
Nyandarua Nyeri Siaya
Tharaka-Nithi Trans Nzoia
Uasin Gishu
Vihiga
Nakuru
L. Victoria
Indian Ocean
PeopleTargeted
<25k 50k 100k > 100,000
Overall: 1.2M
people targeted
Requirements by Cluster
Protection Multisector
2.36
0.75 0.53
0.27
0.83 1.02
0.11 0.34
0.27 Food Security and
Livelihoods
Health Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
People in Need (million) People Targeted (million)
0.060.23 Nutrition
2.23
Education
0.39 1.5
Women 9-60 (T) 407,465 Girls - <9
198,571
Men - 9-60 (T) 429,618
Boys - <9 (T) 198,052
Elderly Women - >60 (T)
31,132 Elderly Men - >60 (T)
28,721
Protection Multisector
59.3
7.3
20.3
3.1 2.0 Food Security and
Livelihoods
Health Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
Funding per sector (million)
Nutrition
Education
38.1
9.2
Operational partners by type
NNGO14 Red Cross
1
UN7
INGO23
KENYA DROUGHT FLASH APPEAL 2021
Context of the Crisis
The cumulative impact of two consecutive poor rainy seasons, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, insecurity, pests and diseases have caused humanitarian needs to rapidly rise in the Arid and Semi-Arad Lands (ASAL) region of Kenya, leading to the declaration of a national disaster by the President of Kenya on 8 September 2021. Both the 2020 short rains (October to December) and the 2021 long rains (March to May) were poor across the ASAL counties. The two rainy seasons were characterized by late onset rainfall in most counties, as well as poor distribution of rainfall in time and space. In addition, forecasts indicate that the upcoming short rains season (October to December 2021) is likely to be below-average, compounded by the negative Indian Ocean Dipole.
There are now at least 2.1 million people who are severely food insecure and adopting irreversible coping strategies to meet their minimum food needs, and this is expected to rise to nearly 2.4 million people from November 2021, according to the latest Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) analysis. This will include an estimated 368,000 people in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) and 2 million people in Crisis (IPC Phase 3), and is nearly three times (852,000) the number of people who were facing high acute food insecurity from October to December 2020. Nine counties are expected to have the highest numbers of people in IPC Phase 3 and above from November 2021 onwards: Turkana, Mandera, Lamu, Garissa, Wajir, Kwale, Kitui, Tana River and Isiolo. Food insecurity is expected to worsen in the period ahead based on the likelihood of poor rains during the upcoming short rains season (October to December).
Livelihoods have been severely impacted by the multiple shocks that communities have endured over the past year. The 2021 long rains production in the marginal areas is expected to be 42 to 70 per cent below the long-term average (LTA) for maize, 61 to 89 per cent below LTA for green grams and 58 to 86 per cent below LTA for cowpeas. For farming households, below-average harvests result in reduced household income, making it difficult for families to purchase food as household food stocks decline. Household maize stocks are 31 to 54 percent below the five-year average in most marginal agricultural areas, with maize stocks projected to last one to two months compared to three or four months normally, according to the 2021 Long Rains Assessment, led by the National Drought Management Agency (NDMA). In pastoral areas, below- average rangeland regeneration has negatively impacted livestock production, resulting in below-average milk production and consumption and high staple food prices. Milk production ranges from 0.25 to 3 litres per household per day compared to the normal 2 to 6 litres. Likewise, daily household milk consumption ranges from 0.25 to 1.6 litres per household per day compared to the average 1 to 3 litres.
Over 465,200 children under 5 and over 93,300 pregnant or lactating women are acutely malnourished in the ASAL region, according to the latest IPC Acute Malnutrition Analysis. The nutrition situation is Critical (IPC Acute Malnutrition (AMN) Phase 4) in Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, Samburu, Turkana, North Horr and Laisamis sub-counties in Marsabit County and Tiaty in Baringo County and Serious (IPC AMN Phase 3) in Tana River and West Pokot Counties. Worryingly, acute malnutrition has surpassed the emergency threshold in many areas, affecting between 15 per cent and 30 per cent of children in at least eight counties. Low food and milk availability, high morbidity, limited access to health and nutrition services, stock-out of essential supplies for management of acute malnutrition and poor childcare practices, coupled with underlying issues such as poverty, high illiteracy, and poor infrastructure have resulted in atypically high acute malnutrition prevalence across pastoral areas. In the period ahead, the nutrition situation is projected to worsen, particularly affecting children and mothers, in Turkana, Samburu, Mandera, Garissa, Wajir, Isiolo and North Horr and Laisamis, and will deteriorate significantly if the 2021 short rains perform poorly, as anticipated.
Access to water is an urgent concern for both humans and livestock. Many open water sources -including rivers, water pans, and dams- have dried up across pastoral and marginal agricultural livelihood zones, and other open water sources at 20 to 40 percent of capacity. Eighty-seven per cent of counties report above-average distances to water sources for households and 78 per cent report above-average distances to water for livestock, according to the latest NDMA monitoring. Household trekking distances to watering points have increased to an average of 2 to 6 kilometers, up from the five-year average of 1 to 5 kilometers. Across most pastoral areas, livestock return trekking distances have also increased: in Marsabit, trekking distances are exceptionally high at 25 to 30 kilometers, compared to 15 to 20 kilometers normally; in Wajir, livestock trekking distances range from 15 to 20 km, around 3 to 4 times the normal distance of 5 kilometers.
With pastoralists having to walk longer distances in search of water, food and forage for their livestock, tensions among communities have risen and an increase in inter-communal conflict has been reported, according to an assessment by the ASAL Humanitarian Network. Atypical livestock migration is expected to intensify from September through October 2021 and from December 2021 until the beginning of the 2022 March to May long rains, according to the latest IPC analysis. As rangeland resources deteriorate rapidly in the period ahead, migration to dry-season grazing areas and other atypical routes are expected to further intensify, potentially increasing the incidence of resource-based conflict and disrupting markets, schooling, livelihoods and access to health facilities and services.
villages, as men travel to access water, food and forage, heightening the risks of family separation, violence, exploitation, abuse and school drop-outs, as highlighted by the ASAL Humanitarian Network assessment and previous drought responses. During the 2017 drought in Kenya, children were often left behind with neighbours or relatives, or otherwise left to fend for themselves in urban centres, while families who were unable to sustain or feed all their members resorted to child labour as a main and standard coping mechanism, according to an Oxfam Protection Assessment. This often resulted in children dropping out of school to economically help support their families, which is also a significant risk during the current drought crisis. Experience during the 2017 drought also highlights the risk of an increase in sexual and gender-based violence, including early marriage, during drought. These risks have also been exacerbated by COVID-19, with a 2020 nationwide study by UN Women, Care and Oxfam revealing that both women and men are resorting to acts of gender-based violence as a result of idleness, stress, and conflicts over scarce resources.
Most ASAL areas have reported disease outbreaks, including due to reduced availability of safe water sources and lack of access to improved sanitation and hygiene services. Upper respiratory
malaria is rising in Turkana and Samburu counties. Between May and July 2021, at least 36 suspected cases of cholera were reported in Garissa (Dadaab Refugee Camp) and Turkana counties, according to WHO, in addition to active outbreaks of measles in endemic areas of West Pokot and Garissa, and a new flare-up of kala-azar in Wajir since January 2021. Upper respiratory tract infections have steadily increased across all drought-affected areas since January and malaria is rising in Turkana and Samburu counties.
Looking ahead, with the 2021 short rains expected to be below- average, the drought crisis is expected to escalate. It is therefore imperative to act now. Food insecurity and malnutrition will continue to rise as families’ access to food and income dries up. Livestock disease outbreaks and resource-based conflicts are also expected to intensify, significantly impacting and constraining livelihood activities.
Livestock productivity is also expected to continue to decline, further reducing milk production and milk sales for households. Families are expected to intensify their use of consumption and livelihood coping strategies, which could result in further school drop-outs and heightened abuse of women and children.
A health worker walks to Lopur village, Turkana, to monitor the nutrition status of children and refer them for treatment when needed. ©️UNICEFKenya/2021/LameckOrina
KENYA DROUGHT FLASH APPEAL 2021
This Kenya Drought Flash Appeal covers October to December 2021 and complements the Government of Kenya’s response to the national drought disaster. In his declaration of the national disaster, the President announced that the Government will implement comprehensive drought mitigation measures, after which the Government’s Treasury announced the release of 2 billion Kenyan shillings (approximately US$18 million) towards drought mitigation.
This comes in addition to 1.7 billion (approximately US$15.3 million) earlier announced for Government food assistance. Engagement is ongoing through the Kenya Humanitarian Partnerships Team with the National Drought Management Agency to understand the details of the Government’s planned response and ensure that the humanitarian response implemented under this Flash Appeal is optimally
complementary.
The Flash Appeal focuses on lifesaving and life-sustaining interventions in the most affected counties, while striving to reinforce the ability of communities to cope with the crisis through resilience-building measures. At the same time, the Flash Appeal acknowledges that longer-term action is required to tackle the root causes of the recurrent drought crises in the ASAL region. To this end, the Flash Appeal acknowledges the critical work undertaken through resilience building and climate adaption activities in the ASAL region in recent years and encourages the continuation and urgent amplification of these efforts, combined with strong and people-centred governance, to prevent such crises in the future.
Under the Flash Appeal, an estimated 1.3 million people will be targeted with humanitarian assistance. The Flash Appeal is premised on the understanding that a multi-sectoral and integrated response to the drought crisis is critical to provide a holistic response to people’s needs. This response will be geographically focused in 20 out of 23 ASAL counties to maximize the impact of collective humanitarian action, with Embu, Narok and Nyeri excluded from the Flash Appeal response as they do not currently face a risk of severe drought.
The Flash Appeal builds upon the response already undertaken by humanitarian partners in 2021, which reached more than 491,000 people from January to July. It brings together the work and funding requirements of the humanitarian community in Kenya, including the United Nations, International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs) and National NGOs (NNGOs), as well as the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS). In particular, the appeal acknowledges the critical role played by organizations that are working with and for their own communities, as highlighted by the inclusion of projects implemented by NNGOs and the KRCS.
Of the $139.5 million requested by humanitarian organizations through the Flash Appeal, upwards of $28.5 million million has already been generously mobilized by international partners, including a $5 million contribution from the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). In order to ensure that partners can rapidly scale-up their response, it is critical that additional funding is received swiftly under the appeal. This is especially the case for sectors which need to procure supplies, some of which are facing imminent pipeline breaks, as is the case for life-saving nutrition treatment.
Given the rising tensions among communities as a result of increased pastoralist migration, the Flash Appeal promotes a conflict-sensitive approach, urging humanitarian partners to ensure that all activities take into account the unique needs and context of the communities with whom they are working. The Flash Appeal also urges partners to implement their responses in a gender-, age- and disability-sensitive manner, which both acknowledges the unique needs of different groups of people, as well as their unique ability to contribute to the humanitarian response. This should build upon previous lessons learned including, for example, HelpAge’s study on the role and vulnerabilities of older people during droughts in East Africa.
Strategic Objectives
Strategic Objective 1: Provide lifesaving and life-sustaining assistance to the people most affected by the drought through integrated humanitarian interventions.
This objective reflects the commitment of all partners to prioritise immediate life-saving assistance for the most vulnerable people.
The aim is to provide an integrated, multi-sectoral response to comprehensively assist families impacted by the drought crisis.
This response will be implemented in a gender-, age-, disability- and conflict-sensitive manner.
Strategic Objective 2: Strengthen resilience of drought-affected communities to mitigate the humanitarian impacts of the drought.
A key component of this objective is to ensure that emergency relief programs enhance sustainability. Partners in this plan commit to develop emergency programs in a way that empowers affected people to become more self-reliant and combat cyclical drought aid dependency. Humanitarian partners will also engage relevant Government and development partners to prioritize longer-term resilience activities within existing programs (e.g. the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, which is under development).
