Bad roads derail bid to supply relief food

Many people in Turkana County are still not getting relief food despite efforts to distribute it in the region.

A survey done in the area cites the long distances residents have to walk to distribution centres as the main challenge.

A report by the Kenya Red Cross and government says that poor road network and insecurity due to armed bandits from Southern Sudan and Ethiopia have hampered relief food distribution efforts.

Government and Kenya Red Cross officials yesterday said that although there were about 100 feeding centres in the area, these were not enough to reach all the residents.

Head of Emergency response at Kenya Red Cross James Mwangi said 850,000 people in Turkana County would need relief food for at least three months to restore their health.

“Since the food distribution programme started about 10 days ago, the level of malnutrition has gone down from 37 per cent (highest in the world) to 24 per cent,” he said at Lotitanit Village.

Mr Mwangi noted that 1,560 children had been placed under watch and were being given supplementary food, alongside 267 lactating mothers and 287 elderly people.

“We are running integrated medical clinics to reverse the malnutrition levels, especially in the North and South of Turkana where the highest percentages have been recorded yet,” he said

He said a polio outbreak in the area had worsened the situation as it meant an intensive health programme had to be rolled to combat the disease.

Schools have also witnessed low enrolment, but officials said they were encouraging parents to take their children to school to benefit from relief food and health care.