Update from Turkana Drought Region, Kenya Michael Lear, Director International Relations October 22, 2009
The September 7th NY Times article by Jeffery Gettleman, which highlighted the life threatening impact of the drought in Northern Kenya, called to action Real Medicine Foundation to coordinate a supply chain for water and food aid and medical support to the region.
The following week, enroute to Juba Southern Sudan, I met with World Vision’s Associate Director of Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs Nairobi, Ms. Jacqueline Rioba, Food Aid Manager Mr. Rotuno Kipsang and Finance Manager Moses Munui to coordinate aid to the Turkana region. Dr. Martina Fuchs, RMF Founder and CEO would follow up just days later to oversee the food distribution and provide medical treatments.
I then traveled to Lodwar in the Turkana region with Share International Founder, Sammy Murimi, pictured with me above, whose organization has been actively supporting the people of Turkanaland since 1997. The terrain was unimaginably arid, rocky and hot, void of almost all live save the people of local tribes awaiting support under the shade of the dying mature trees.
With the help of the Share International Team we did a small scale distribution to dial in the logistics of the larger scale efforts of the following week. In the morning we provided water, medical consultations and then met with the World Vision team in Lodwar to discuss the larger scale distribution efforts that would be execute by Dr. Fuchs.
People also walked from great distances in the open sun for assistance, including woman and children.
In the afternoon we traveled to another outlying community in desperate need of food where we distributed about 100 kgs. of corn. “To arrive on the at the distribution sites and hear the Turkana people singing, brought me to tears.” The only consolation was knowing that Dr. Fuchs would be arriving the following week to distribute $5000 worth of emergency food aid and provide medical support and water to move communities in the region. Longer term strategies for sustained support are also being discussed.
Despite these efforts, much remains to be done to establish sustainability for these people, in particular access to available water to grow food. We had an opportunity to visit a small solar irrigation system that helps 10 families produce food for them. In addition to facilitating larger scale water and distribution efforts, RMF is exploring how to leverage the remaining natural resources to empower the Turkana to sustain under such harsh conditions.
Despite their circumstances the children remain hopeful and shared some smiles.

Devastating drought sweeping across Kenya

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/08/world/africa/08kenya.html

September 10, 2009
By Dr. Martina Fuchs

"A devastating drought is sweeping across Kenya, killing livestock, crops and children. It is stirring up tensions in the ramshackle slums where the water taps have run dry... In Baringo, in the Rift Valley, people are eating cactus because corn and wheat have gotten so expensive. In Nyeri, in central Kenya, some have turned to pig feed. …
Turkana children, dressed in little more than a sheet, are hiking 20 miles for a gallon of water. Turkana men are abandoning families, simply vanishing into the desert because they cannot face the shame of being unable to feed their children. Many people here now have nothing to eat but the chalky, bitter fruits that grow wild in the desert. They smash them open with rocks to get at the barely edible part inside."

Following up on this NY Times article, Real Medicine connected with its author, Jeffrey Gettleman, in Kenya. We decided to support the efforts to get water and immediate relief to the people in the afflicted areas as quickly as possible. RMF’s Director, International Relations, Michael Lear will go to Kenya this weekend to help set up the infrastructure for our work. The areas afflicted the worst can only be reached by plane. In addition to coordinating with the NY Times office in Nairobi, we are coordinating with World Vision to deliver food to the children under five age group and we are looking into the region’s water/ irrigation projects as well, for longer term water and food security.

World Vision Kenya, September 2009:
"Turkana is the largest district in Kenya. The district covers 77,000km, which constitutes 42% of the Rift Valley Province. The district borders Ethiopia to the Northeast, Sudan to the Northwest, Uganda to the West, Baringo and West Pokot to the South, Samburu to the Southeast, and Marsabit to the East. The population of the district is estimated at 454,100. Turkana is one of the districts that are at risk of sliding from acute food and livelihood crisis and into a humanitarian emergency if immediate measures are not taken to avert the gradual slide. Prolonged drought, conflict, and disease have over the years eroded the coping capacity of the community in Turkana; over 62% of the district's population is currently under the general food distribution program, this number is set to increase as most food security indictors have not been performing well."

"The recently concluded long rains assessment (LRA) estimate that close to ten million people in the country (Kenya) are food insecure." A breakdown of those affected is presented below:

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