Avert starvation disaster

Since President Uhuru Kenyatta recently declared the drought ravaging parts of the country a national disaster, there has been heightened awareness about it. However, there is no evidence of any quick fixes. In fact, the situation seems to be getting out of hand. 

People in the arid and semi-arid areas are already facing acute food shortages. Unless urgent measures are taken, the scarcity could intensify. The National Drought Management Authority says 2.1 million Kenyans face acute food shortage, requiring urgent assistance in the next six months. The crisis is blamed on the below-average rainfall during the short rainy season of October-December and poor long rains in March to May.

No government worth its salt can let the people die of hunger and starvation. It is its duty to protect the people from such deadly threats. It must, therefore, mobilise resources to provide relief supplies to the most affected people.

But since the government cannot do it alone, it should outline the needs and seek assistance from local and international non-governmental organisations. Indeed, a good number of NGOs working in these remote areas must be aware of the need to rush in supplies to avert deaths. The government has worked with the NGOs over the years and can do it again.

In the past, these regions have been without food while farmers in the grain basket of the North Rift and other areas had surplus produce they could not sell. Before sanctioning imports, the government should assess local availability and mop up and move the excess supplies to food-insecure areas.

Reliance on increasingly unpredictable rainfall needlessly exposes the people to vulnerability. Irrigation has been touted as the solution to this perennial problem. It should be prioritised among other programmes to develop the drier regions.