North Rift women push for equitable distribution of relief food
Members of the public wait for their rations of relief food at Nakaalei in Turkana on November 05, 2022. Women from pastoral communities that are hard hit by drought are pushing for coordinated relief food distribution to ensure all residents are reached.
What you need to know:
- Women from pastoral communities are demanding a coordinated relief food distribution to ensure all residents are reached.
- Rebecca Lowoiya says distributors are avoiding far flung villages in remote parts of Turkana, West Pokot, Baringo and Elgeyo Marakwet due to insecurity, poor road and communication network.
Women from pastoral communities in North Rift region, which are hard hit by the current drought, are pushing for coordinated relief food distribution to ensure all residents are reached.
Under the North Rift Women Pastoralist Association (Noriwopa), the women said that through their grassroots networks, they have established that affected population in hard to reach areas were disappointed by ‘skewed process’ of relief food distribution.
Noriwapa Chairperson Rebecca Lowoiya said distributors are avoiding far flung villages in remote parts of Turkana, West Pokot, Baringo and Elgeyo Marakwet due to insecurity, poor road and communication network.
"Some administrators, officials or transporters charged with responsibility of distributing relief food, are engaging in malpractices like delivering less quantities or manipulating the supplies," she told journalists in Lodwar.
She noted that due to high costs of transportation, relief food donated by government, humanitarian agencies and well-wishers are also not reaching the targeted hunger stricken residents because of poor coordination.
"The situation has seen most agencies only give food to residents in accessible areas like centres along the main roads. Concerned authorities and agencies should incorporate Noriwapa who know the hardest hit villages," Ms Lowoiya said.
Hard to reach villages such as Kamuge, Napeitom, Kaakalel, Sopel and Kibish urgently need reasonable quantities of relief food aid because they are on the verge of starving to death, she explained.
Distribution plan
Akutan Loger, a resident of Nabulon village in Turkana Central Sub-county said living near Lodwar town is a disadvantage to many vulnerable families like her. The assumption is that they don’t need relief food.
"All the livestock we relied on for milk and income when we sold at Lodwar Livestock Market have died due to lack of pasture. We should also be captured in the relief food distribution plan," Ms Loger said.
She said they are a unique group of affected people. Increased urbanization in Lodwar saw big chunks of land that they relied on for pasture for their livestock have been developed.
Noriwapa recommended that well-wishers should inform authorities before embarking on relief food distribution so that all the affected residents are reached. According to the organisation, the authorities have a database of all the affected residents and villages.
