This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 NAIROBI 000279 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AIDAC 
 
USAID/DCHA FOR WGARVELINK, LROGERS 
DCHA/OFDA FOR GGOTTLIEB, MMARX, IMACNAIRN, KCHANNELL 
DCHA/FFP FOR JDWORKEN, SBRADLEY, MANDERSON 
AFR/EA FOR JBORNS, SMCCLURE 
ROME FOR FODAG 
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH 
BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER 
NSC FOR JMELINE 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAID KE ECON EAGR EFIN PGOV SOCI
SUBJECT: HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN KENYA?S NORTHEASTERN 
PROVINCE 
REFS: NAIROBI 05074 
 
Summary 
 
¶1.  Persistent drought and underdevelopment in Kenya's 
Northeastern Province continues to erode humanitarian 
indicators.  Erratic rainfall during the Sept-Nov short 
rains season has failed to replenish natural water 
points or pasture causing degradation of local 
livestock, the main source of food and livelihood 
security for the province's mainly pastoralist 
population.  Conditions are likely to deteriorate until 
April 2006 when the next seasonal rains are scheduled. 
Current international and Government of Kenya (GOK) 
relief measures may be overwhelmed as beneficiary 
numbers continue to increase; and the situation could 
become acute if the April rains are delayed or fail. 
End Summary. 
 
Background 
 
¶2.  From January 3-10, a USAID team from the Offices of 
Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) and Food for Peace 
(FFP) conducted a rapid assessment in the Wajir and 
Mandera Districts of Kenya's Northeastern Province.  The 
objective was to verify humanitarian conditions, confirm 
current response planning, and identify assistance gaps. 
 
¶3.  On January 1, Kenya's President Kibaki declared a 
national drought emergency and appealed for 
international assistance totaling $153 million for food 
and non-food support.  The plight in the Northeastern 
Province was highlighted by the President and local 
media as Kenya's worst affected area, and the drought 
blamed for the death of 40 children and scores of 
animals. 
 
¶4.  The Northeastern Province has been under drought 
emergency since August 2004, and the current problems 
are the most recent in a series of droughts since 1991. 
The mostly nomadic ethnic Somali population relies on 
livestock for food security and livelihoods.  The area 
borders with Somalia /Ethiopia, and has a history of 
insecurity. 
 
¶5.  The region is chronically food insecure and 
underdeveloped.  An August UNICEF nutritional survey 
cited several causes beside a lack of rainfall for 
widespread emergency malnutrition rates; including the 
population's lack of access to health services, poor 
education, and the lack of livelihood diversification. 
 
Current Situation 
 
¶6.  Erratic rains have failed to recharge natural water 
points and pasture to levels sufficient to accommodate 
the numbers of local livestock.  FEWSNET reports that 
rainfall during the short rain season (Sept-Dec) was 60 
percent below average in the Northeastern Province. 
Natural water pans and rivers are completely dry and 
there was little green vegetation. 
 
¶7.  All GOK boreholes (52 total) in Wajir and Mandera 
Districts are operational, and currently running on a 
24/7 basis.  There was high convergence of people and 
animals at the boreholes visited.  Arid Lands (GOK 
drought monitoring office) is providing borehole 
generators with 50 percent of the diesel fuel required, 
and relying on already stretched local contributions for 
the balance.  The Ministry of Water has established 
emergency borehole repair teams to respond to mechanical 
breakdowns.  GOK planning is to drill 22 new boreholes 
in the two districts. 
 
¶8.  GOK water trucks are distributing to communities far 
from the existing boreholes.  There are 10 tankers 
operating in the two districts and the target is to 
deliver an average of 20 liters of water per day to 
approximately 35,000 families.  Families commonly use 
recycled veg. oil jugs of 1 liter capacity to store 
water, and are now lining up on roadsides waiting for 
delivery. 
 
¶9.  The Provincial health infrastructure is struggling 
with increasing numbers of malnourished children. 
Global Acute Malnutrition rates in the districts were 
assessed to be between 18 percent - 28 percent (August 
2005 UNICEF survey).  District hospitals are currently 
not overwhelmed with malnutrition cases; however, 
administrators report a 5 fold increase in admissions 
over the last two months. The suspicion is that 
malnutrition in remote areas is going undetected and 
untreated. 
 
¶10.  Additional problems for the hospitals include a 
lack of qualified manpower, shortage of supplies and 
inexperience with malnutrition treatment protocols. 
International NGOs previously engaged in supplemental 
and therapeutic feeding activities have mostly closed 
following improvements after the July long rain season. 
 
¶11.  Doctors in Wajir and El Wak complained about a 
shortage of basic medicines.  Increased demand for drugs 
due to the drought has not been met with increased 
supply from the government central pharmacies.  There 
was no report of cholera, measles or sharp increases in 
communicable or water borne disease.  Provincial 
immunization rates (60 percent) are below the national 
average. 
 
¶12.  The World Food Program is distributing general 
rations to 209,000 people (31 percent of the population) 
and has been active since the original drought 
declaration in August 2004.  Arid Lands officials now 
believe that 428,000 people (66 percent of the 
population) will require a full ration for the next six 
months.  The GOK, following recent media criticism, has 
pledged to supply food to meet the gap with respect to 
general food distributions, and there are reports of 
government food already arriving in both districts. 
However, a recent news report of GOK relief food being 
sold in the market raises questions about the viability 
of the GOK's distribution and targeting mechanisms. 
 
¶13.  Arid Land estimates that 40 percent of the local 
livestock has perished over the last two months. 
District officials feel that the lack of pasture is 
killing animals, as water was relatively available at 
the boreholes.  While dozens of carcasses are visible in 
the northeast, the vast majority affected is cattle. 
 
¶14.  The Kenyan Red Cross has begun purchasing 
distressed cattle (Off-take) in Wajir and Mandera, 
although there was no evidence that the meat from these 
animals is being used by drought affected families. 
Pastoralists have been accused by government of having 
more animals than the land can support.  District 
Officials reported that many animals have migrated to 
the neighboring Eastern Province for pasture. 
 
Regional Affects 
 
¶15.  Drought affected pastoralists from neighboring 
Ethiopia and Somalia are coming to Kenya in search of 
relief aid.  The El Wak District Officer reported that 
300 Somali families had recently arrived and an unknown 
number of Ethiopian pastoralists are in northern Mandera 
District. 
 
¶16.  CARE, working in the Gedo region of Somalia, report 
that the Juba River is the only water source across the 
border, and insecurity and lack of rains has left all 
existing water points and bore holes either dry or 
inoperative.  USAID is coordinating a humanitarian 
response with other actors in drought-affected areas of 
Somalia and Ethiopia. 
 
USG Response in Northeastern Province 
 
¶17.  The Office of Food for Peace contributes 
approximately 36 percent of the WFP resources 
distributed in the Province.  USAID/OFDA, through 
partner CARE, began rehabilitation of pastoral water 
points in September and supports immunization programs 
through UNICEF.  USAID Kenya supports a provincial 
livestock development program. 
 
NGOs and other Donors 
 
¶18.  International NGOs operational in the Province 
include CARE (OFDA Partner), OXFAM and Action Against 
Hunger.  Current interventions include general food 
distributions, water support and nutrition.  World 
Vision has a small development activity in Wajir, but no 
plans to respond to the emergency situation. UNICEF has 
managed emergency nutrition in both districts through 
partner agencies. 
 
¶19.  ECHO has earmarked Euro 2 million for water and 
protection programming in Mandera District through NGOs 
CARE and Action Against Hunger.  DFID recently 
contributed $750,000 to UNICEF for the purchase of 
commodities for the national nutritional program. 
 
Conclusion / Recommendations 
 
¶20.  Humanitarian indicators are likely to deteriorate 
until the next seasonal rains arrive in April 2006. 
Current response mechanisms for the food and water 
sectors are stretched and likely to become overwhelmed 
if the April 2006 rains are delayed or fail; and if 
significant numbers of drought affected from Somalia and 
Ethiopia migrate to the Province for assistance. 
 
¶21.  Continuation and availability of a general food 
ration is critical to sustain populations until the 
April rains.  The success of any emergency nutritional 
interventions directly depends on the prevalence of food 
in the general population.  Arid Land?s proposal to 
almost triple recipients of general food rations will 
require new resources from either the international 
community or GOK. 
 
¶22.  Emergency nutritional capacity (supplemental and 
therapeutic feeding) and mobile screening needs to be 
strengthened.  The Provincial health infrastructure 
lacks the resources and skills to effectively manage an 
increasing caseload of malnourished children, pregnant 
and lactating women and the elderly.  UNICEF is 
currently the best partner option, and has the capacity 
to coordinate implementers, information flow, and ensure 
feeding protocols.  Activities may need to run through 
August 2006. 
 
¶23.  The continued operation of existing boreholes is 
critical until the arrival of the April rains.  The GOK 
belief that local communities can continue contribute 50 
percent of the fuel and maintenance needed is 
optimistic.  Support could be needed for diesel fuel and 
generator spare parts to ensure the wells continue to 
produce.  The provision of hygienic gerry cans and 
chlorinated water treatment kits will improve household 
storage capacity and reduce exposure to water bourn 
diseases. The trucking of water could be considered if 
GOK promises to maintain the distributions fail. 
 
¶24.  The supply of basic drugs needs to be monitored. 
An increase in demand due to the drought is not being 
met by GOK central pharmacies.  Should drugs and 
supplies continue to be inadequate, UNICEF has the 
capacity to distribute WHO health kits and provide 
additional support to district health centers. 
 
¶25.  The recommendations above are for short term life 
saving purposes and will not resolve the perennial 
drought problems in the province.  Greater investment in 
health services, infrastructure, education and 
livelihood diversification is needed if permanent 
improvements are to be realized.  USAID will continue to 
closely monitor the Northeastern Province at both the 
Nairobi and field level and provide input to long term 
planning efforts. 
 
BELLAMY