The United Nations and humanitarian partners in Kenya are appealing for $472.6 million to help 4.3 million drought-affected people in 2023, in support of the Government-led response, as the crisis is expected to worsen.
During a visit to Garissa County on, the Deputy President of Kenya, Rigathi Gachagua, the UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya, Dr. Stephen Jackson, and the UN Environment Programme Executive Director, Inger Andersen, called on the international community to step-up their solidarity with communities who are facing the devastating consequences of the longest and most severe drought in Kenya’s recent history.
Needs in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) of Kenya continue to rise as the region faces its fifth consecutive below-average rainy season from October to December 2022.Â
Humanitarian partners estimate that there will be 6.4 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in 2023 in the ASALs region of Kenya.Â
At least 4.35 million people are going to bed hungry and about 5 million people cannot access enough water for drinking, cooking and cleaning.Â
Families are taking desperate measures to survive, including fleeing their homes in search of sustenance, and the risks faced by women and girls have risen sharply since the drought began.
There are also growing reports of children dropping out of school and child marriage cases.
The UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya, Dr. Stephen Jackson, said The Government and humanitarian partners have stepped up our collective response in 2022 to help save lives.
Despite being an underfunded crisis, 89 humanitarian partners reached nearly 1 million people with vital assistance between January and September 2022, complementing the Government-led response to the drought.Â
The Deputy President was joined by Cabinet Secretaries Alice Wahome and Rebecca Miano for Water and Sanitation, and the East African Community (EAC) and (ASALs) and Regional Development, respectively.Â
The delegation was hosted by the Governor of Garissa, Nathif Jama Adam, Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi, who serves as the Deputy Chair of the Council of Governors and local area members of parliament.
