Here is some information about water in Kenya – drought conditions, what is needed, what is being done, where needed and more

Drought in Kenya

There has been a crisis of hunger, thirst and disease since 2016 when a severe drought hit the arid and semi-arid regions of Kenya, affecting 2.7 million people. Thousands of children are food insecure and in dire need of treatment for severe malnutrition. The lack of food and water is creating enormous suffering. Many natural open water sources in have dried up, putting immense pressure on the few available boreholes and dwindling water pans. Some households now have to walk up to 4 to 8 miles to find water.

Additionally, there is a higher risk of falling sick from being malnourished and a lack of good sanitation. Acute watery diarrhea can be life-threatening, especially among the very young and elderly. Some women have difficulty breastfeeding as they don’t produce enough milk from a lack of proper nutrition. They become weak and sickly, and this further makes it very difficult to take care of children’s needs.

“The forecast for the necessary rains in the coming months is not promising and therefore the fear is that the drought can only get worse,” says Under Secretary General and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O’Brien. “It now requires the international community to step up, because we [the United Nations] are already here. There is need to back this successive track record of saving lives and protecting civilians, who through no fault of their own, have found themselves caught up in the drought.”