I’m 72 years old. I have never experienced anything like this in my life, “said Ibrahim Ado, a resident of Byamadov, according to Al Jazeera.
Most of northern Kenya has been without rain since September. The rainfall this time was less than 30 per cent. According to the Fame Early Warning Systems Network, this is the worst short-lived monsoon in decades. Lack of rainfall not only wiped out pastures but also increased food and water shortages and exacerbated famines.
The local Adovs depended on livestock for their livelihood. As the drought intensified, he lost more than half of his livestock. The rest were so weak that they could not get milk. They were so exhausted that they could not even be sold.
“No one wants those skinny cattle,” said the village elder, according to Al Jazeera.
In the last four months, the price of a cow has dropped from about 40,000 Kenyan shillings (about $ 357) to $ 5,000 (about $ 45), Adow said.
Things were not always like this. These people, like Ado, often tend to lose weight when exposed to the effects of drought. At that time their only food dependence will be on corn. The difficulty of finding water will increase, and the cattle will be emaciated and their bones will be pushed out. They too have been trained to deal with drought. All of this will change a bit with the return of rain. All pastures will be green and all the animals will be healthy. But only financial difficulties will remain.
At the same time, if it does not rain by the end of the year, things will go awry. Experts predict that this will be the third consecutive bad rainy season since December 2020. They were facing a drought three years ago. Droughts usually last for five to seven years. But this time the situation is much worse. Grasslands and water bodies were wiped out in many places by the drought.
“Gradually, this drought has become more frequent and more prolonged,” said James Odor. He is the director of the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) of Kenya.
‘The only reliance is on rain’
Last month, the United Nations estimated that 2.4 million people in Kenya would have difficulty finding food since November. By February, it will have increased by 1.4 million.
Senab Kule, 25, is six months pregnant. They also have two boys, both ages one and two. For the past month, she has been making cornmeal for herself and her children.
Children under the age of five are more likely to suffer from malnutrition. Senab’s children also suffered from diarrhea due to malnutrition. It has become a common sight for children to get sick easily.
Her current fear is that her youngest child will become incapacitated with fever. For them, dehydration, abnormal fatigue and other disabilities have already turned life into a struggle.
‘My only hope is rain. I think it’s going to rain, ” Coole said.
The two most vulnerable groups during periods of drought are children, pregnant and lactating women. 465,000 children, 93,000 pregnant and lactating women are already malnourished in northern Kenya alone.
The women here traditionally fetch water. But Somov Dahir, director of health in Wajir County, said daily working hours had become longer as the rains had stopped. The NDMA estimates that people in northern County had to travel an average of 14 kilometers to find water in October alone.
Breastfeeding mothers who spend a lot of time outside the home are significantly affected by breastfeeding. Especially families who have lost livestock due to drought. In addition, eating maize reduces milk production and makes it less nutritious.
2020 has become the third warmest year on record for Africa, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). By 2050, temperatures are forecast to reach 2.5 degrees Celsius.
Kenya has become the biggest example of the extreme effects of global warming on climate change.
Humid air can be maintained in an atmosphere that is generally warmer. Therefore, it will rain. But there is more evaporation going on here. It leads to drought.
Climate change has become a major problem in northern Kenya. However, there are other factors that contribute to drought. Odor of the NDMA said the impact of the drought had been exacerbated by population growth, land reclamation and settlement expansion for agricultural irrigation.
With the need to find water, the dropout rate from schools has increased.
There are no shortcuts to dealing with drought. This can only come to an end if long-term sustainable development plans are implemented. He added that it was an expensive and time consuming task.
‘Drought cannot change, but it can change people’s moods,’ he said.
Families who depend solely on livestock need to be educated about other sources of income. And make them capable of it. He said that if they had done so, they would not have suffered so much.
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Source: Al Jazeera, Agencies | Compiled by Sruthy C.R
.
