It feels like a furnace

The lack of rain this year has led to the death of an unknown number of people who have died of causes related to hunger and starvation such as eating poisonous fruits, diseases associated with malnutrition, and as a result of battle over scarcity of resources such as water, animals, pasture and food.

Besides loss of human lives, a large number of animals are estimated to have died in the last six months due to hunger and an outbreak of foot and mouth disease. The livestock includes goats, cows, donkeys and camels. The effects of the drought are far-reaching to the Turkanas. The loss of their livestock means loss of livelihood. The animals are reared to provide meat and milk. Others are used for barter trade for alternative foodstuff.

The loss of livestock literally reduces the Turkana to beggars. Many of them have shifted to urban centres where they reside with their relatives. They are also driven to the urban centres by the hope of receiving relief food.

This rural urban migration creates its own problems. There is marked increase in intra-community crime such as theft, rape and muggings. Children who are relocated from their homes drop out of school and rendered idle. They are exposed to an environment that is fertile for delinquency and crime.

Although the situation cannot be said to be perfect yet, there are some improvements. The weather condition has improved in the southern part of Turkana since July 2000. Green grass and vegetation can now be found in areas like Kainuk, Katilu and Lokichar. Many Turkanas have moved from the North to those areas in search of pasture.

Unlike in the past when the Turkanas were exclusively pastoralists, a small section of the population has now embraced subsistence agriculture along River Turkwell. They do irrigation using simple implements of buckets to carry water from the river to their small farms of about half an acre. In that way they are able to grow crops such as maize, sorghum, vegetables, fruits and sugar cane. The success of this endeavour is determined by existence or lack of peace. As soon as there are ethnic conflicts or cattle raids, the venture is forgotten and people scatter.

Another encouraging thing is the urgent response that has been accorded to the Turkanas. Fellow Kenyans had donated cash, clothes and foodstuffs worth Kshs.16 million (more than US $ 200.000) by February, 2000 to Turkana.

Kenyan ACT members such as the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) together with the Reformed Church of East Africa (RCEA) and the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) have been providing the people with food assistance as well as farming inputs. ACT member LWF-Kenya also runs famine relief projects.

In July ACT issued an appeal for US $ 4 million for the drought situation in Kenya. This appeal is currently 59% funded (us $ 2.3 million pledged).

Reported by Martha Mbugguss, communications director with ACT member NCCK in Kenya.
Photo credit: ACT International/NCCK