9 die as drought and hunger hits northern Kenya

By Andrew Wasike

TURKANA, Kenya (AA) - Thousands of people in Northern Kenya’s Turkana and Baringo county are facing starvation due to drought.

For close to a year now, the area has not received any rainfall. The death toll due to starvation has risen to nine as of Sunday.

Locals who are mostly nomadic are calling on the national government to urgently send life-saving food to mitigate the crisis.

The nomads in Turkana are among the worst affected by climate change which has left them and their animals without food and drinking water.

Echwa Lokiping, a resident of Kobuin village, told Anadolu Agency: "We have lost two people this week. They were left there by their families who moved in search of water and food. Children and pregnant mothers are most affected, like me, my newborn has no milk to suckle.”

Jospehat Nanak, Turkana county governor, told reporters that the county is doing its best to mitigate the effects of the drought but called on the national government to assist them. “If the rains come, the situation will improve but if it fails we need the national government to step in and save lives.”

Wild fruits have become part of their daily meal.

“We gather wild fruits called Sorich, we then boil them until the acid leaves the fruit, then we eat them,” a villager, Jeber Koiyet, explains.

Kositei chief Jack Ronei confirmed the deaths saying that they were recorded in Kositei, Kamusuk, Seretion and Kobuin villages.

Kenyans on social media platforms have been sharing photos of emaciated victims of the drought in a campaign aimed at pushing the government to send urgent aid to Turkana county.