In 2009 Kenya witnessed one of the most severe droughts that have ever hit the country. The result of the drought was millions of Kenyans facing starvation as others lost livelihoods owing to the death of both cattle and crops. The impact was indeed severe and an outright evidence of the effects of climate change especially in vulnerable regions such as Africa.
Come 2011, situation hasn’t change as Kenya begins to experience yet another drought spell that could inevitable render millions facing hunger and starvation and millions worth of cattle dying. Already over 1.6 million Kenyans are already receiving relief food from the World Food Programme while it is anticipated that the figure could escalate to 5 million within the next three months. What’s bewildering is that at the same time we have tons of food wasting away in the fertile regions of the nation. This has been blamed on the lack of a comprehensive early warning system that would be able to see more food reserves in place in anticipation of drought. However this is not the matter at hand.
Unless something is done fast quick and in a hurry, we will see millions of Kenyans going hungry and staring death in the face. There is need to make concerted efforts to get emergency relief food to those who need it, not in three months time but right now. In addition there is need to take measures to ensure that there is provision of safe clean drinking water and available medication to fight off related diseases. Hunger and starvation breeds conflict as the fight for resources gets more and more vicious with each turning day. This cannot be allowed to happen.
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