Emergency Appeal: Kenya Drought 2021

A devastating drought in Kenya has left 2.1 million people at risk of death from starvation – including 111,000 children. Our immediate focus is to help protect children by ensuring there is food and water in schools, but we need your help. We’re doing all we can to protect children on the front line of climate change. The situation is worsening, particularly in Turkana and we urgently need to reach more schools and more children.

If you can, please donate here now.

The Government has declared a national emergency in the wake of the disaster, which has dried up water sources, killed livestock and destroyed food crops across the country. As droughts become more frequent in Kenya due to climate change, the poorest and most food insecure areas are being hit hardest, among them our target communities in Turkana and Kajiado.

Forecasts indicate that the upcoming short rains season (October to December 2021) is likely to be below-average
Turkana is among nine counties that are expected to have the highest numbers of people facing high acute food insecurity.
With pastoralists having to walk longer distances in search of water, food and forage for their livestock, tensions among communities have risen and an increase in inter-communal conflict has been reported.

According to our Programme Manager:

“There is no water! Women and girls who had to walk 5-6 km for water are now walking more than double that. ‘There are no goats!’ and the price of food staples such as beans and maize has doubled”

Our immediate focus is to help protect children by ensuring there is food and water in schools. Aidlink partners are on the ground providing life-saving food in schools to thousands of malnourished children

We are:

– Delivering food to targeted primary schools in Turkana and Kajiado

– Installing water tanks and hand washing facilities

Our initial target is to feed 10,000 children from 30 schools for one term.