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The worst time was in March, the long rainny season which is usually from October to December, has brought only little rain. The Northern Kenya, covered by sandy desert and semi-desert, started to feel the effects of drought. Inhabitants of this area, Turkana, Pokot, Samburu and Rendille tribes, day by day were loosing animals, which are their only source of livelihood. The herds of goats, sheep and camels, that survived, were led by the herdsmen, farther and farther for pastures, leaving their own families in villages practically without any means to survive.
The Kenyan government has begun the intervention through food aid but it lacked the capacity to reach everyone because of limited resources. Besides the international financial crisis, which also has a considerable effect on Kenya, the lack of rain at the end of previous year caused serious food shortages in the whole country making the situation at the North worse. Some international organizations have tried helping through urgent aid. However, the situation in many places is still far from good.
In Korr, a small village in the Northern part of the country people living in Lengima village got the help at the beginning of April. However, it was not of much use because the maize seeds, have to be boiled for a meal. But there was no rain, not even a drop, from December till now. Water transport from the few and scattered sources are still not sufficient.
30 km to the North from Lengima, Korr is situated. It’s a big village where almost 20 000 people live, among them nearly 3 000 stay in the village centre and others live in settlements (manyattas) spread around. They are herdsmen from Rendille and Samburu tribes, from the generations living in extremely difficult conditions.
Wide areas are covered by sand and stones and only acacia trees growing in some places acting like guidelines on finding ones way around the place. Here, where people live for less than 1 $ daily, the drought has lowered, even more, the living standards. It’s all just a fight for survival. Here, life is as tough as it can get. The short rain season, expected in April to renew the vegetation, came to pass as only two days of little rain. It was just barely sufficient. However the situation of the people has not improved. Weak sheep and goats are still dying because of shortage of grass. Inhabitants of Korr are continuously facing famine.
Additionally in the neighboring villages the epidemic of cholera has broken out. Therefore the use of the few water sources becomes a danger to health of people living there.
A few days ago Simba Friends Foundation’s workers reached that place with 16 tones of food. 140 sacks of maize and 40 sacks of beans were taken to the people of Korr, Lengima and 10 neighboring manyattas. The purchase of food was possible thanks to the support from Foundation, Warsaw and Cracow mission centres as well as well wishers. Thanks to them almost 8 thousand of people received help that will only last for the next few weeks. But what next? What can be the permanent solution?
The worst is still ahead of them. Next rain season is expected in October.