Thousands face starvation as severe drought hits Tana Delta

What you need to know:

  • Governor Hussein Dado and senior county officials spent the better part of Monday discussing ways of mitigating the drought.
  • County Commissioner Isaiah Nakoru recently appealed to NGOs to help the affected residents.
  • He challenged them to stop the habit of waiting for disasters to strike before assisting people.
  • Human rights activist Ali Wario said seven schools, three dispensaries and several shopping centres have been deserted.

More than 20,000 people and close to 100,000 head of cattle in Tana River risk starvation following a severe drought that has caused water shortage in the Tana delta.

Seven villages in Assa Location are hardest hit and the residents have been left to rely on only two wells as a humanitarian crisis looms across the county.

This is after the third well caved in last weekend, leading to death of a 20-year-old herder while three others escaped with serious injuries.

Governor Hussein Dado and senior county officials spent the better part of Monday discussing ways of mitigating the drought and water scarcity across the county.

“A team has been tasked to assess the situation including collecting data of the number of affected people. Water trucking has been ongoing for nearly three months and the initiative will be scaled up,” said Governor Dado’s Director of Press Gallgallo Fayo.

WATER BOWSERS

The county has deployed nearly 30 water bowsers to supply water to affected areas particularly in Tana North Sub-County where drought and water scarcity is severe.

Tana River County Commissioner Isaiah Nakoru recently appealed to non-governmental organisations to supplement the national government’s effort to help the affected residents.

He challenged the NGOs to stop the habit of waiting for disasters to strike before assisting people.

He said it was common for most NGOs to rush to Tana River County whenever disasters strike instead of always solving the residents’ daily life challenges.

SELF-RELIANCE

“We want NGOs which will come here and assist the residents to be self-reliant by utilising the numerous natural resources such as the River Tana and fertile soils that this county is endowed with,” he said.

In Tana Delta Sub-County, women have to walk for more than 50 kilometres in search of water.

Ms Hadija Gobu, the mother of a one-month-old baby told the Nation that she has not seen her baby for three days since she left Iddi Village in search of water.

“Soon you will hear deaths of people and animals if urgent help will not come to us, “added Ms Gobu.

Human rights activist Ali Wario said seven schools, three dispensaries and several shopping centres have been deserted since the drought begun three months ago.