A World Concern staff member asks Somali women about the impact of the drought. Photo: World Concern/Tearfund
28 July 2011
Tearfund partners are increasing the transportation of water to livestock farmers in northern Kenya to help them through severe drought conditions.
A thousand pastoralists who rely on cattle for their livelihoods are receiving supplies in the Turkana and West Pokot areas.
Poor rains have dried up pasture and left many farmers with dead or dying livestock, drastically hitting their income and ability to buy food.
As well as supplying water our partner Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC) is also planning to repair existing boreholes and water pans.
Another Tearfund partner Christian Community Services of Mount Kenya East (CCSMKE) has also been sending tankers with desperately needed water into northern Kenya.
Tearfund is helping CCSMKE expand this work which is benefiting vulnerable families and their livestock.
Somalia
Somalia is also suffering due to drought, insecurity and high staple food prices and our partner World Concern is planning to set up water distribution centres in three locations on the border with Kenya.
Staff will also be providing food for schools and health clinics and distributing household items, such as plastic sheets for shelter and water containers.
With many Somalis crossing into Kenya to escape the drought, basic medical supplies will be distributed to support health centres, especially in areas where there are high numbers of displaced people.
The idea is this will help reduce the strain on host communities which nomadic families are increasingly relying upon as the drought intensifies.
In the Somaliland region of Somalia, 500 nomadic families in the Togdheer and Sanaag districts are to receive water, shelter and household essential aid over the next three months.
Ethiopia
In Ethiopia, our partner, the Wolaitta Kale Heywet Church (WKHC) is running cash-for-work schemes in the southern areas of Offa and Kindo Koyisha following harvest failures and rising staple food prices.
As well as directly boosting incomes in the short term, the work being done will improve soil quality and help conserve water in the long term.
These projects are part of wider activity by WKHC to reduce the impact of natural disasters and to tackle hunger.
This includes setting up self-help groups offering micro-finance for small businesses, implementing irrigation schemes and promoting conservation farming techniques which use less water.