Hunger in East Pokot as dry spell persists

Thursday, August 7, 2014

A majority if households located in the pastoral zones in East Pokot are experiencing serious food shortages following a prolonged dry spell after a failed rains season between March and May.

This is according to key findings gathered from a field mission visit to the region by 3 humanitarian agencies i.e. ACTED (Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development), Trócaire and World Vision in partnership with the Baringo County government and the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA).

Additionally, results of a nutrition survey conducted by the Ministry of Health, UNICEF and World Vision in East Pokot Sub County in June show that the nutrition situation has worsened significantly, when compared to the same time last year. The global acute malnutrition (GAM) rates are at 21.1%, above the World Health Organization (WHO) 15% emergency threshold.

“The situation in East Pokot is critical. Without sufficient food, young children are at a greater risk of malnutrition because they do not get enough food,” says Thatcher Ng’ong’a, World Vision Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs Officer.

The inter-agency group has stressed an urgent need for a scaling up of nutrition service delivery in conjunction with a broader multi-sectoral response to prevent the further deterioration of the nutritional status of children, pregnant and lactating mothers.

 World Vision is one of the Partners supporting the delivery of essential nutrition services with support from UNICEF through the Ministry of Health in East Pokot Sub-County.

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