VZCZCXYZ0007
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHNR #1019/01 0661149
ZNR UUUUU ZZH (CCY ADX9F84C6  MSI5093-623)
P 071149Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0094
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC PRIORITY 1245
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 8276
RUEHDJ/AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI 4016
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 3782
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA 2553
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA
AMEMBASSY ROME
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS

UNCLAS NAIROBI 001019 
 
SIPDIS 
 
C O R R E C T E D   C O P Y (ADDED ADDEE) 
 
 
AIDAC 
 
STATE FOR AF/E, AF/EPS, AF/PD, EB, PRM/AF, IO 
USAID/DCHA FOR WGARVELINK, LROGERS, MHESS 
DCHA/OFDA FOR GGOTTLIEB, MMARX, IMACNAIRN, KCHANNELL 
DCHA/FFP FOR JDWORKEN, JDRUMMOND, TANDERSON, DNELSON, 
SBRADLEY 
AFR/EA FOR JBORNS, SMCCLURE 
DAA/AFR, KALMQUIST 
ADDIS ABABA FOR TIM STUFFT 
DJIBOUTI FOR JSCHULMAN 
ROME FOR FODAG 
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH 
BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER 
NSC FOR JMELINE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: DY EAID ECO ET PHUM PREF EGAD CENTCOM PRES
SUBJECT:  KENYA SOMALIA DROUGHT EMERGENCY TASK FORCE 
 
REF: STATE 27057 
 
¶1.  Summary:  On February 27, Ambassador Bellamy 
established an inter-agency Drought Emergency Task Force 
for Kenya and Somalia at post to coordinate information 
and both short and long-term responses to the current 
crisis. Post estimates that the current drought in the 
Horn of Africa has placed 3.5 million Kenyans and 1.7 
million Somalis in need of food aid. The need for 
additional food aid and non-food assistance is urgent; 
in Kenya, for instance, the current pipeline of food aid 
will only last through April. The impact of poor rains 
has been exacerbated in Kenya by inadequate investment 
in markets, infrastructure and social safety nets in 
Kenya and by the lack of an effective government in 
Somalia.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  The February 8 GOK/WFP drought assessment for Kenya 
estimates a population of 3.5 million persons in need of 
assistance, in 27 of the 36 Arid and Semi Arid (ASAL) 
districts. An estimated 395,000 MT of food aid is 
required between March 2006 and February 2007.  Much of 
the affected population relies on livestock for its 
livelihood and is experiencing extraordinary pressures 
on water and pasture resources. The GOK has provided 
60,000 MT against this requirement but has turned to the 
donors to finance the inland transportation and 
distribution of this food.  U.S. pledges since January 1 
amount to over 51,000 tons of cereals and non-cereals. 
Based on currently identified food supplies, the GOK/WFP 
food distribution pipeline is likely to face a break by 
the end of April, with stocks of CSB and veg-oil to be 
depleted even sooner. Additional needs for water, health 
and nutrition, education, agriculture and livelihood 
support total more than $20 million. 
 
¶3.  In Somalia, an estimated 1.7 million people in the 
North, Central and Southern regions of Somalia are 
facing conditions of acute food and livelihood crisis or 
humanitarian emergency at least until June 2006, and 
combined with 380,000 internally-displaced persons 
(IDPs), the total number of people in need of assistance 
throughout the country is 2.1 million. The crisis is 
especially severe in the southern regions of Somalia, 
where an estimated 1.4 million people are in urgent need 
of humanitarian assistance.  Somalia is experiencing 
crop failure, considerable livestock deaths, rapidly 
increasing cereal prices, falling livestock prices, 
abnormal population movements, and extreme shortages of 
and limited access to water and food. 
 
¶4. The Drought Task Force for Kenya and Somalia will 
address the various aspects of the crisis, including 
food assistance, health and nutrition, water, longer- 
term actions to reduce the risk of recurrent drought, 
and public diplomacy. The Task Force is chaired by USAID 
Mission Director, Stephen Haykin, who is directly 
responsible for reporting to the Ambassador and DCM. 
Specific actions include: a) full participation in 
GOK/donor working groups to assess needs and coordinate 
responses; b) reporting to State and USAID Washington, 
including bi-weekly reporting of the drought situation 
in Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia and Djibouti; c) continuing 
dialogue with DCHA/FFP and DCHA/OFDA to identify 
resources for emergency response programs; d) outreach 
to other Embassies to encourage their participation in 
the relief efforts, including a joint visit to North 
Eastern Province in February, and a March 5 luncheon at 
the Ambassador?s Residence during the visit of WFP 
Executive Director, James Morris, in which 15 other 
Embassies were represented. 
 
¶5.  In addition, USAID has formed a regional pastoralist 
working group, which serves as an internal think tank to 
inform USAID?s approach to the longer-term response to 
the drought in the pastoralist arc of Kenya, Somalia and 
Ethiopia.  Composed of REDSO, OFDA/ECARO, USAID/Ethiopia 
and USAID/Kenya, the working group interacts with other 
donors and partners to understand the immediate drought 
and the root causes of the failure of livelihood systems 
in the region.  The current drought demonstrates the 
need for a regional perspective that complements 
bilateral activities to help build resiliency within the 
affected communities to withstand the effects of 
recurrent shocks; address conflict issues across 
borders; and help stem environmental degradation. The 
working group is developing a concept paper that may be 
used to access potential supplemental funds, e.g. the 
USAID/Washington-managed Famine Fund. 
 
¶6.  Concerted action is needed at Post and in Washington 
to secure the resources necessary to avoid widespread 
loss of life in Kenya and Somalia and to prepare for 
both recovery and mitigation of future threats.  The 
Task Force will keep Washington informed of developments 
in Kenya.  BELLAMY